SONORA: 


ITS  EXTENT,  POPULATION,  NATURAL  PRODUCTIONS. 

INDIAN  TRIBES,    MINES,    MINERAL 

LANDS,  ETC.,  ETC. 


TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    SPANISH    OF    FRANCISCO    VELASCO 

M 


BY    WM.    F.     NYE. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

CALIFORNIA. 


SAN    FRANCISCO: 

H.     H.    BANCROFT    AND     COMPANY. 
1861. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  A.  D.  1861, 
BY  WM.  P.  NYE  AND  WM.  T.  KOBINSON, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Northern  District  of  California. 


TOWNE  <fc  BACON,  PRINTERS,  503  CLAY  STREET,  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


PREFACE. 


OF  the  original  Spanish  work  from  which  this  translation 
is  made,  there  are  but  few  copies  in  existence  ;  one  of  which 
WAS  obtained  by  Mr.  Robinson,  through  the  courtesy  of  the 
Prefect  of  Alamos. 

The  author,  Don  Francisco  Velasco,  was  a  native  of  Sonora, 
and  held  various  official  positions  of  responsibility  —  among 
others,  that  of  Secretary  of  State,  and  member  of  the  Federal 
Congress.  Although  he  modestly  remarks  in  his  preface,  that 
his  principal  motive  in  giving  his  book  to  the  public  was  that 
it  might  induce  some  person  better  informed  than  himself  to 
furnish  more  full  and  accurate  statistics,  his  work  is  universally 
recognized  in  Sonora  as  the  best,  and  in  fact,  the  only  reliable 
one  that  has  yet  been  published  upon  this  subject.  The 
translator  has  selected  such  portions  of  the  original  as  in 
his  judgment  will  be  the  most  interesting  to  the  general 
reader,  and  the  most  important  to  those  having  a  direct  in- 
terest in  Sonora. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  May,  1861. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

SITUATION,    EXTENT    AND    BOUNDARIES   OF    SONORA. 


CHAPTER   II. 

CLIMATE 17 

CHAPTER  III. 

POPULATION 25 

CHAPTER  IV. 

CAPITAL   OF   THE    STATE 31 

CHAPTER   V. 

CITY    OF    HERMOSILLO    AND    ITS  DEPARTMENTS 34 

CHAPTER  VI. 

RIVER   YAQUI    AND    ITS   SETTLEMENTS 47 

CHAPTER  VII. 

RIVER   MAYO    AND    ITS    SETTLEMENTS 61 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

PRESIDIO   OF    ALTAR,    NOW   THE   TOWN   OF    GUADALUPE 65 

"  OF   SANTA   CRUZ, 68 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PRESIDIO   DE    BACUACHI 70 

"  OF    FRONTERAS 72 

"  OF    TUBAC 73 

"  OF    TUCSON.  .,  ,74 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 

PRESIDIO    OF    BABISPE 79 

"  OF    SAN    CARLOS    DE    BUENAVISTA 81 

CHAPTER  XI. 

CERIS   AND    THE    ISLAND    OF    TIBURON 87 

PUEBLO    OF    CERIS,    OR   SAN    PEDRO    DE    LA    CONQUISTA 93 

CHAPTER    XII. 

OPATA     SETTLEMENTS 97 

PAPAGOS « 100 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

MINES    IN    SONORA 104 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

MINES    THAT    ARE    WORKED    AT    THE    PRESENT    DAY 125 

CHAPTER  XV. 

MINES    OF    IRON,    LEAD,    COPPER   AND    QUICKSILVER 146 

OTHER    MINERALS    AND    STONES    OF   VALUE 151 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

APACHE  TRIBES:  THEIR  POPULATION,  MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  ETC.    156 

APPENDIX. 

PRESENT     CONDITION    OF    SOME    OF    THE    PRINCIPAL    MINES    OF 

ALAMOS    DISTRICT 174 

PROVISIONS     RELATIVE     TO     THE     DISCOVERY    AND    DENOUNCE- 
MENT   OF    MINES ..  .181 


SONORA. 

LIBRARY^ 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

ALIFORNIA.  . 


CHAPTER  I. 


SITUATION,    EXTENT,    AND     BOUNDARIES    OF    THE 
STATE    OF    SONORA. 


WHEN  Sonora  and  Sinaloa  formed  one 
State  (called  the  Western  State)  it  extend- 
ed from  the  river  "  de  las  Canas,"  which  di- 
vided it  from  the  State  of  Jalisco,  to  the 
river  Gila  on  the  north,  and  was  four  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  leagues  in  length.  But 
when,  in  1830,  this  State  was  divided  into 
two,  the  south-eastern  boundary  of  Sonora  was 
fixed  on  the  border  of  the  Mezquite  rancho, 
eighteen  leagues  south  of  the  city  of  Ala- 
mos, on  the  road  to  "villa  del  Fuerte."  The 
distance  from  the  said  Mezquite  (the  divid- 
ing line  between  Sonora  and  Sinaloa)  to 
Ures,  is  one  hundred  and  eighteen  leagues, 


10  SONORA. 

and  thence  to  the  Gila  one  hundred  and 
forty-five  leagues;  the  entire  length  of  the 
State  thus  being  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
three  leagues. 

Its  breadth  is  very  irregular,  as  from  the 
Mezquite  towards  the  interior,  the  Sierra 
Madre  gradually  recedes  until  it  is  out  of 
sight  from  the  main  road,  whilst  numerous 
plains  exist,  of  ten  or  more  leagues  in  ex- 
tent, some  broken  by  small  ranges  of  hills, 
which  appear  from  the  road  to  be  isolated 
mountains.  Its  mean  breadth  from  the  west- 
ern side  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  which  divides 
it  from  the  State  of  Chihuahua,  to  the  gulf 
of  California,  has  not  been  exactly  ascer- 
tained; but  all  the  inhabitants  who  are  ac- 
quainted wTith  the  geography  of  the  country 
.agree  that  its  breadth,  in  its  narrowest  part, 
viz:  between  Mezquite  and  Alamos,  is  not 
less  than  forty  leagues;  in  the  parallel  of 
Arispe  it  exceeds  one  hundred  and  thirty 
leagues,  and  at  the  Gila,  reckoning  from  the 
pass  of  Carretas — which  is  the  lowest  of  the 


EXTENT    AND    BOUNDARIES.  11 

Sierra  Madre — to  the  river  Colorado,  one  of 
its  western  boundaries,  trie  breadth  is  far 
greater  and  has  not  yet  been  denned. 

The  general  direction  of  the  State  is  from 
north-west  to  south-east,  along  the  Gulf  of 
California,  its  western  boundary.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  New  California, 
and  by  a  number  of  barbarous  tribes  beyond 
the  Gila,  whose  limits  are  unknown. 

The  name  of  Sonora,  according  to  the 
most  authentic  accounts,  is  derived  from  the 
Opata  word  Sonot,  which  means  Senora,  an 
appellation  bestowed  by  the  Spanish  con- 
querors upon  an  Indian  woman,  who  treated 
them  with  great  hospitality  when  they  vis- 
ited the  settlements  of  that  tribe ;  the  In- 
dians, in  attempting  to  imitate  the  Spaniards^ 
pronounced  the  word  Sonot,  instead  of  Seno- 
ra, and  it  was  gradually  corrupted  into  So- 
nora. This  State  comprises  the  province 
that  was  formerly  called  Upper  Sonora,  and 
contains  the  departments  of  Arispe,  Ciene- 
guilla,  Horcasitas  and  Hostimuri,  in  which 


12  SONORA. 

are  included  the  department  of  Alamos  and 
the  settlements  on  the  rivers  Mayo  and  Ya- 
qui.  The  territory  of  the  State  also  includes 
the  presidial  establishments,  viz :  Buenavista, 
Pitic — now  the  city  of  Hermosillo — Altar, 
Santa  Cruz,  Fronteras,  Tubac,  Bacuachi, 
Babispe  and  Tucson,  where  the  captains  or 
commanders  of  garrisons  formerly  exercised 
all  political,  judicial  and  military  authority ; 
at  present  there  are  no  presidios  in  exist- 
ence. 

The  face  of  the  country  is  of  unequal  ele- 
vation; being  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Sierra  lofty  and  broken,  whilst  in  the  inte- 
rior, and  also  on  the  coast,  there  are  plains 
and  valleys  of  immense  extent.  Its  area, 
between  the  Mezquite  and  the  Gila,  may  be 
estimated  at  42,869  square  leagues. 

The  rivers  are  few  in  number  in  compari- 
son with  Sinaloa,  which  contains  eleven.  In 
the  State  of  Sonora  there  are  really  no  riv- 
ers, except  the  Buenavista  or  Yaqui,  the  only 
one  of  importance,  and  the  Conicari  or  Mayo, 


EXTENT    AND    BOUNDARIES.  13 

both  of  which  emanate  from  the  copious 
springs  of  the  Sierra  Madre.  After  these, 
we  may  mention  the  Arispe  or  Sonora,  which 
passes  through  Ures  and  Hermosillo,  and 
loses  its  waters  in  the  sandy  plains  of  Siete 
Cerritos,  seven  leagues  to  the  west  of  Her- 
mosillo, and  the  Horcasitas,  also  called  Ray- 
on, Opodepe  and  Cucurpe,  which  joins  the 
Arispe  one  league  and  a  half  east  of  Her- 
mosillo.  The  Oposura,  Aribechi,  Santa  Cruz, 
San  Jose  de  Pimas,  Tecoripa,  Altar  and  Ca- 
borca  are  mere  creeks,  fordable  when  their 
waters  are  high,  and  partially  dry  in  times 
of  drought,  some  of  them  disappearing  in 
the  sands. 

On  the  northern  frontier  are  two  rivers 
which  truly  deserve  the  name,  viz:  the  Col- 
orado, the  largest  of  all  the  streams  in  So- 
nora  or  Sinaloa,  and  the  Gila,  which  joins 
the  Colorado  near  the  point  at  which  it  emp- 
ties into  the  Gulf  of  California.  The  only 
rivers  that  empty  into  the  sea  are  the  Colo- 
rado, Buenavista  and  Conicari ;  all  the  oth- 
B 


14  SONORA. 

ers  either  join  these  first,  or  are  lost  in  the 
sandy  plains  of  the  coast. 

The  State  contains  no  port  suitable  for 
commerce,  except  that  of  Guaymas,  which, 
according  to  manners,  is  the  best  in  the 
Gulf  of  California.  In  Santa  Cruz  de  Mayo, 
in  the  department  of  Alamos,  there  is  a  small 
bay  or  roadstead,  commonly  called  the  port 
of  Santa  Cruz,  which  is  occasionally  visited 
by  a  schooner  or  launch  from  Lower  Cali- 
fornia, laden  with  dried  fruit  and  olives. 

That  portion  of  Sonora  lying  between 
Merzquite  and  the  ancient  capital  city,  Ar- 
ispe,  is  sterile  in  comparison  with  the  region 
further  north.  The  most  thickly  settled 
places  are  upon  the  banks  of  the  rivers  and 
creeks,  whilst  in  the  interior  settlements  be- 
tween  Alamos  and  Hermosillo  there  is  so 
great  a  scarcity  of  water  on  the  roads,  that 
the  traveler  is  compelled  to  carry  a  supply 
with  him.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  travel 
eight,  or  even  sixteen  leagues,  without  find- 
ing a  stream,  or  a  place  where  water  may 


EXTENT    AND    BO 


be  procured  by  digging.  On  that  part  of 
the  coast  called  Tiburon,  to  the  west  of 
Hermosillo,  the  distance  between  watering 
places  is  still  greater,  and  the  supply  more 
scanty ;  and  on  the  old  road  of  Cieneguilla, 
which  is  from  fifty  to  sixty  leagues  in  length, 
there  are  but  three  watering  places,  includ- 
ing one  well. 

On  the  road  from  Hermosillo  to  the  port 
of  Guaymas,  in  the  dry  season,  no  water  is 
to  be  had  for  thirty-six  leagues,  except  at 
La  Posa  and  La  Cieneguilla  \  and  it  is  occa- N 
sionally  so  scarce  at  these  places  that  foot 
passengers  perish  from  thirst.  The  coast  is 
so  dry  that  the  rancheros  have  sunk  wells 
in  different  parts  of  it  thirty  and  forty  yards 
in  depth,  without  finding  moisture.  The 
region  between  Arispe  and  the  Gila,  how-v 
ever,  is  well  watered  by  numerous  creeks, 
and  abounds  in  pools  and  swamps ;  and  the 
mountains  are  well  supplied  with  water  and 
timber  of  various  kinds,  such  as  cedar,  pine, 
evergreen-oak,  ebony,  etc.,  well  stocked  with 


16  SONORA. 

deer  and  birds,  and  contain  medicinal  herbs 
of  marvelous  efficacy,  one  of  which,  called 
"  Colorada,"  is  used  by  the  Apaches  for  the 
treatment  of  wounds.  The  valleys  are  ex- 
pansive and  beautiful,  abundantly  watered, 
and  clothed  in  verdure  during  the  entire 
year ;  and  nature  has  lavished  her  vegeta- 
ble and  mineral  wealth  upon  these  frontier 
regions  with  so  prodigal  a  hand,  that  they 
may  well  be  called  the  Paradise  of  Sonora. 
The-  inscrutable  decree  of  the  Almighty  has 
bestowed  them  upon  savages,  incapable  of 
appreciating  or  enjoying  his  munificent  gift. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER  II. 


CLIMATE. 


THE  climate  of  Sonora  is  subject  to  the 
extremes  of  heat  and  cold.  In  the  winter 
season,  especially  in  the  frontier  settlements, 
the  cold  weather  commences  in  the  latter 
part  of  October,  and  is  extremely  severe 
from  November  until  March.  Ice  has  fre- 
quently been  formed  in  October;  but  this  is 
not  usually  the  case  until  November  or  De- 
cember. In  the  settlements  nearest  the 
frontier,  the  frosts  set  in  earlier  than  in  the 
interior  towns ;  indeed,  in  these  last,  three 
or  four  years  occasionally  pass  without  frost, 
and  this  is  especially  the  case  in  the  settle- 
ments nearest  to  the  coast,  such  as  Hermo- 
sillo,  Buena  Vista,  Alamos,  Yaqui,  Mayo,  etc. 


18  SONORA. 

Warm  weather  commences  in  May,  and 
the  heat  becomes  extreme  during  the  months 
of  June,  July  and  August — in  September  it 
is  moderated  by  refreshing  rains — the  mer- 
cury frequently  reaching  more  than  one 
hundred  degrees  Fahrenheit  at  Hermosillo, 
Guaymas,  Ures,  Buena  Vista,  and  San  Anto- 
nio de  la  Huerta,  these  places  suffering  more 
from  heat  than  any  others  in  Sonora. 

Hermosillo  is  occasionally  visited  by  a  hot 
wind,  which  blows  from  eleven  of  the  morn- 
ing till  four  of  the  afternoon,  during  which 
period  no  one  ventures  into  the  street,  un- 
less urged  by  business  or  imperative  neces- 
sity. On  one  occasion,  a  few  years  since,  such 
was  the  fury  of  the  withering  blast,  that  it 
seemed  to  scorch  the  skin  like  a  furnace ; 
hares,  deer,  cayotes  and  other  wild  animals 
flocked  to  the  settlements  for  refuge,  and 
plants  and  trees  perished  at  the  root.  In 
Guaymas,  this  wind  makes  its  appearance 
every  year,  when  least  expected,  and  some- 
times blows  for  four  and  twenty  hours.  It 


CLIMATE.  19 

is  a  remarkable  circumstance  that  it  does  not 
extend  more  than  a  league  from  the  coast, 
seaward,  and  that  while  it  prevails,  fresh 
water  deposited  in  jars  continues  deliciously 
cool,  even  in  summer. 

It  is  the  general  custom  throughout  the 
States  to  throw  aside,  in  the  beginning  of 
June,  the  woolen  mattresses  that  have  been 
used  during  the  winter,  and  the  poorer 
classes  abandon  the  interior  of  their  houses, 
and  pass  the  night  in  the  corridors  or  court 
yards ;  others,  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  but 
one  room  or  no  enclosed  corridor,  sleep  in 
the  streets  in  front  of  their  huts,  when  the 
heat  within  becomes  insufferable.  In  some 
towns,  however,  as  in  Hermosillo,  the  nights 
are  cooler,  on  account  of  the  southerly 
breeze,  which  sets  in  at  eight  o'clock ;  when 
this  fails,  as  sometimes  happens,  the  inhabit- 
ants court  sleep  in  vain. 

In  some  of  the  frontier  settlements,  such 
as  Arispe,  Bacoachi  and  Fronteras,  the  win- 
ter is  longer  than  the  summer ;  and  at  the 


20  SONORA. 

presidio  of  Santa  Cruz,  cold  weather  pre- 
vails during  the  entire  year,  this  phenome- 
non being  confined  to  that  particular  local- 
ity. 

We  see,  then,  that  the  climate  of  Sonora 
is  neither  moderate  nor  temperate,  notwith- 
standing which  serious  epidemic  diseases  are 
unknown,  except  in  a  few  places ;  as,  for 
example,  in  Hermosillo,  where  diarrhoea  and 
phthisic  prevail  to  a  limited  extent.  On  the 
rivers  Oposura  and  Laguaripa,  as  well  as  in 
Cosola,  Rosario  and  other  towns  in  Sinaloa, 
the  inhabitants  are  subject  to  an  excres- 
cence or  fleshy  tumor  upon  the  neck,  called 
"buche."  This  is  more  common  among  wo- 
men than  men.  In  the  frontier  settlements, 
and  especially  in  those  of  "Pimeria  Alta," 
intermittent  fevers  are  not  uncommon,  but 
are  to  be  attributed  rather  to  the  immoder- 
ate use  of  fruit  than  to  the  climate.  These 
fevers  sometimes  make  their  appearance  in 
the  interior  of  the  State,  but  they  do  not 
spread,  nor  are  they  of  long  continuance. 


CLIMATE.  21 

It  may  safely  be  affirmed  that  the  climate 
of  Sonora  is  not  only  salubrious,  but  far  more 
so  than  that  of  the  adjoining  States  or  those 
in  the  center  of  the  Republic.  This  may  be 
attributed  to  the  purity  of  its  atmosphere, 
the  dryness  of  its  soil,  which  contains  no  la- 
goons or  pools  of  stagnant  water,  exhaling 
noxious  vapors,  and  to  the  various  and  con- 
stant winds  from  the  Sierra  Madre,  the  north 
and  the  sea,  which,  sweeping  over  deserts 
and  sparsely  settled  regions,  have  necessa- 
rily a  purifying  effect  upon  the  atmosphere. 
Those  terrible  epidemics  that  have  decimat- 
ed the  human  race  in  other  climes,  are  as 
yet  unknown  in  Sonora.  In  Guaymas,  Mat- 
ape,  Horcasitas  and  Arispe,  days  and  even 
months  frequently  elapse  without  the  occur- 
rence of  a  single  death.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  encounter  in  these,  places  as  well  as 
in  the  presidio  of  Altar  or  Cavorca,  persons 
over  one  hundred  years  of  age  (two  attained 
the  respective  ages  of  a  hundred  and  four- 
teen and  a  hundred  and  thirty)  and  the  av- 


22  SONORA. 

erage  duration  of  human  life,  when  prudence 
and  temperance  are  observed,  may  be  set 
down  at  from  seventy  to  eighty  years.  It 
is  true  that  such  longevity  is  not  common  in 
the  interior;  but  this  is  owing  more  to  ex- 
cesses than  to  the  climate.  The  strongest 
proof  of  the  purity  of  the  atmosphere  is  the 
fact  that  even  the  Indian  tribes,  exposed  as 
they  are  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
half  naked,  poorly  fed,  subjected  to  severe 
and  exhausting  labors  and  deprived  of  med- 
ical assistance,  generally  attain  the  same  age 
as  the  whites. 

In  the  last  century,  according  to  tradition 
and  the  statements  of  the  oldest  inhabitants, 
the  small  pox  and  the  measles  made  their 
apppearance  about  every  twenty  years ;  in 
the  present  century,  the  intervals  have  been 
less,  viz :  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  years. 
The  ravages  of  the  small  pox,  however,  are 
trifling,  in  comparison  to  what  they  were 
before  the  introduction  of  vaccination,  which 
is  now  practised  in  all  parts  of  the  State. 


CLIMATE.  23 

There  is  not  a  hospital  in  the  State,  nor  a 
drug  store  worthy  of  the  name ;  the  only 
one  being  in  Hermosillo,  poorly  supplied 
with  drugs  of  inferior  quality,  and  without 
any  practical  chemist  or  apothecary.  Neith- 
er are  there  any  established  physicians  of 
accredited  skill  and  experience,  the  few  who 
are  found  in  the  State  being  foreigners,  who 
are  only  applied  to  in  cases  of  urgent  neces- 
sity; the  inhabitants,  in  case  of  sickness,  be- 
ing generally  left  to  the  tender  mercies  of 
quacks  and  old  women. 

Venereal  diseases  are  not  common,  except 
in  the  settlements  near  the  coast,  especially 
those  of  the  river  Yaqui ;  in  the  interior 
they  are  rarely  seen. 

At.  the  changes  of  the  seasons,  catarrhs 
frequently  prevail,  but  are  generally  mild 
and  seldom  induce  fever. 

Although  the  night  air,  on  the  coast  and 
in  the  central  States  of  the  Eepublic,  is 
deadly  in  its  effects,  in  Sonora,  no  harm  re- 
sults from  sleeping  in  the  open  air.  The 


24  SONORA. 

most  dangerous  diseases  among  children  are 
those  which  accompany  teething,  such  as 
diarrhoea,  intermittent  fevers,  vomiting,  op- 
thalmia,  and  eruptions  of  the  face.  These 
are  so  prevalent  as  to  annually  cause  the 
death  of  quite  one-fourth  part  of  the  children 
born  in  the  State.  Those  that  pass  the  pe- 
riod of  teething  in  safety,  generally  enjoy 
good  health  until  they  arrive  at  the  age  of 
puberty. 


LIBRARY 


NIVERSITY  OF 

CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER  III, 


POPULATION. 


IN  the  absence  of  positive  and  reliable  sta- 
tistics, based  upon  a  census  properly  taken, 
it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  the  exact  popu- 
lation of  the  State  of  Sonora,  or  to  classify 
the  inhabitants  by  sexes,  ages,  occupations, 
etc.,  but  we  will  endeavor  to  make  an  esti- 
mate, which,  although  imaginary,  may  be 
approximate  to  the  truth,  and  therefore  call 
attention  to  the  following  facts. 

The  city  of  Hermosillo,  in  1830,  contained 
according  to  the  census  5,000  souls;  and  in 
1840,  13,665,  including,  as  estimated,  about 
2,000  Yaqui  Indians,  of  whom  no  census 
could  be  taken.  The  same  rate  of  increase 
c 


26  SONORA. 

for  the  last  ten  years,  would  give  20,482  as 
the  present  population;  this  we  consider 
to  be  above  the  mark ;  but  there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  population,  including  Indians,  does 
not  fall  short  of  15,000. 

Ures,  the  present  capital  of  the  State,  con- 
tained according  to  the  census  of  1822  less 
than  2,000  souls;  at  present  its  population 
is  not  less  than  7,000. 

The  population  of  the  town  of  Oposura, 
in  the  same  year,  was  2,534 ;  at  present  it 
does  not  contain  more  than  3,000,  the  emi- 
gration thence  having  been  very  great,  on 
account  of  its  exposure  to  the  incursions  of 
the  Apaches. 

The  port  of  San  Fernando  de  Guaymas, 
with  the  town  of  San  Jose — generally  called 
the  rancho  of  San  Jose  de  Guaymas,  did  not 
contain  one  thousand  inhabitants  in  1828 ; 
the  present  population  is  not  less  than  3,000. 

The  city  of  Alamos,  in  1828;  was  supposed 
.- 

to  contain  from  5,000  to  7,000  inhabitants, 

but  owing  to  the  emigration  resulting  from 


POPULATION.  27 

the  decadence  of  its  mines,  the  present  pop- 
ulation does  not  exceed  6,000. 

The  town  of  Guadalupe  del  Altar,  one  of 
the  frontier  presidios,  contained  but  2,645 
inhabitants  in  1822,  but  since  the  important 
mineral  discoveries  in  1837,  its  population 
has  increased  to  6,000. 

The  population  of  the  town  of  Horcasitas 
was,  in  1822,  2,460,  and  in  the  twenty-three 
years  since,  it  has  probably  not  increased 
more  than  one-third,  owing  to  the  depopula- 
tion of  many  ranchos,  on  account  of  the 
ravages  of  the  Apaches.  We  may  estimate 
its  present  number  of  inhabitants  at  3,280. 
The  mineral  region  of  Yaroyeca  probably 
contains  about  the  same  number  of  inhabi- 
tants as  in  1822,  viz :  2,460 ;  frequent  emi- 
gration having  retarded  its  increase. 
,  The  population  of  the  old  capital  city,  x 
Arispe,  which  in  1822  amounted  to  2,079, 
does  not  at  present  exceed  1,000  of  all  ages 
and  sexes. 

The  entire  population  of  all  the  settle- 


28  SONORA. 

ments  on  the  river  Yaqui,  in  1822,  was  esti- 
mated at  5,501  persons;  add  to  which  6,000 
others  beyond  the  river  and  scattered  over 
the  State,  and  we  have  a  total  of  11,501. 
This  we  may  consider  to  be  the  present 
number  of  these  Indians,  as  many  perished 
in  the  outbreaks  of  1825,  1826  and  1832, 
and  in  the  civil  wars  of  Gandara  and  Urrea. 

The  town  of  Ceris,  according  to  the  last 
census  in  1844,  contained  3,000  inhabitants 
of  all  ages  and  sexes. 

From  the  preceding  statistics  of  the  pop- 
ulation of  the  larger  or  principal  towns  and 
settlements  of  the  State  in  1822,  and  their 
probable  rate  of  increase  up  to  1845,  they 
should  now  contain  72,995  souls,  as  shown 
by  the  following  statement : 

Population  of  the  above  mentioned  pueblos  in  1822 58,396 

Add  one-fourth  as  the  probable  increase  in  twenty-three 
years,  from  1822  to  1845 14,599 


Total 72,995 

Add  to  this  the  population  of  the  small  settlements,  which 
have  not  increased  on  account  of  the  depredations  of 
the  Apaches 12,669 


Total  population 85,664 


POPU 

NOTES. 

1.  The   mining    region   of  Cieneguilla, 
which  in  1822  contained  1,589  souls,  is  en- 
tirely depopulated. 

2.  The  mineral  region  of  Aigame  had  a 
population  in  1822  of  2,543,  but  is  now  noth- 
ing more  than  a  private  rancho. 

3.  The  presidio  of  Basuchi  had  a  popula- 
tion of  nine  hundred  and  fifty-nine,  but  is 
now  nearly  depopulated. 

4.  Fronteras,  a  presidio,  formerly  had  six 
hundred  and  thirty-five  inhabitants,  but  is 
now  entirely  depopulated  on  account  of  the 
Apaches. 

5.  Bananchi  formerly  had  a  population  of 
1,746,  but  is  now  nearly  depopulated  for 
the  same  reason.     Many  other  pueblos  and 
ranches  have  shared  the  same  fate. 

Although  the  Papago  Indians  do  not  as- 
sociate with  the  whites,  they  nevertheless 
form  a  part  of  the  population  of  the  State, 
and  recognize  its  government.  As  they 
number  20,000  souls,  and  the  Mayo  Indians 


30  SONORA. 


— who  may  also  be  included — 7,000  more, 
we  may  safely  estimate'  the  Copulation  of 
Sonora  at  over  100,000  persons. 


L I  B  11 A  R  Y 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

CALIFORNIA. 


CHAPTER  IT. 


CAPITAL    OF   THE    STATE, 


THE  capital  city,  Ures,  is  situated  in  a  most 
beautiful  valley,  stretching  from  east  to  west, 
the  soil  of  which  is  exceedingly  fertile,  and 
suitable  for  the  production  of  all  kinds  of 
fruits,  excellent  wheat  and  other  cereals. 
Several  hundred  "  cargas  "  of  sugar  are  an- 
nually  produced,  also  cotton  of  superior 
quality;  but  the  progress  of  the  place  is 
slow,  owing  to  the  epidemic  which  visits  it 
every  two  or  three  years. 

The  environs  of  Tires  are  picturesque,  and 
contain  several  important  haciendas  of  ara- 
ble land,  such  as  Santa  Kita,  Molino,  Guad- 
alupe,  Topagui  and  others.  There  are  no 
public  buildings,  except  certain  small  houses 


32  SONORA. 

purchased  during  the  administration  of  Gen- 
eral Urrea  to  form  a  palace.  The  present 
Governor  is  erecting  a  penitentiary,  or  house 
of  correction,  there  being  but  one  prison  on 
the  skirts  of  the  city,  and  that  extremely 
insecure. 

The  private  buildings  are  irregular,  frail, 
and  with  no  pretensions  to  beauty.  All  are 
built  of  adobe,  although  there  is  excellent 
stone  for  building  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  city. 

Ures  has  the  great  misfortune  of  being 
subject  to  frequent  inundations,  since  it  is 
immediately  surrounded  by  various  creeks, 
which,  when  swollen  by  heavy  rains,  con- 
stantly threaten  the  city  with  ruin.  Its 
principal  branch  of  industry  is  the  manufac- 
ture of  mantillas,  but  much  progress  might 
be  made  in  other  branches,  under  a  quiet 
and  peaceable  order  of  things. 

It  is  particularly  exposed  to  the  depreda- 
tions of  the  Apaches,  notwithstanding  which 
its  population  has  materially  increased  since 


CAPITAL    OF   THE    STATE.  33 

1825 ;  this,  however,  is  partly  owing  to  the 
emigration  from  the  frontiers  of  many,  who, 
having  witnessed  the  slaughter  of  their  fam- 
ilies by  the  savages,  sought  refuge  and  pro- 
tection in  the  city. 

Ures  has  an  ayuntamiento,  prefecture, 
judge  of  first  instance  and  a  primary  school. 
The  attorney  general  also  resides  there,  but 
the  Supreme  Tribunal  of  Justice  holds  its 
sessions  at  Hermosillo. 


CHAPTER  V. 


CITY    OF    HERMOSILLO    AND    ITS    DEPARTMENT. 


THE  capital  of  this  department  is  the  city 
of  Hermosillo,  distant  from  the  Gulf  of  Cal- 
ifornia thirty  leagues  on  the  west,  and  thirty- 
six  leagues  on  the  south.  It  was  originally 
called  Pitic,  having  been  one  of  the  old  pre- 
sidios. It  is  now  the  first  town  in  the  de- 
partment, its  elements  of  progress  being 
certain  and  increasing.  Its  climate  is  dry 
and  very  warm ;  from  the  middle  of  spring 
till  the  beginning  of  autumn,  the  thermom- 
eter frequently  reaching  ninety-six  or  nine- 
ty-eight degrees  Fahrenheit,  and  sometimes 
over  one  hundred;  but  immediately  after 
sunset,  a  refreshing  westerly  breeze  springs 
up,  which  compensates  for  the  intense  heat 


CITY   OF  HERMOSILLO.  35 

during  the  day.  The  winters  are  not  severe, 
and  their  temperature  is  very  variable, some- 
times rising  nearly  to  summer  heat.  The 
atmosphere  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
year  is  clear. 

No  epidemics  visit  this  city,  excepting 
catarrhs  and  light  fevers ;  neither  are  there 
any  noxious  insects,  the  only  ones  found  be- 
ing ants,  the  bite  of  which  is  neither  painful 
nor  dangerous. 

It  is  situated  in  a  valley  about  three  and 
a  half  leagues  in  length  and  one  and  a  half 
in  breadth,  sheltered  on  the  north  by  vari- 
ous hills,  on  the  west  by  the  range  of  hills 
called  Chanate,  and  on  the  east  by  the 
"  Cerro  de  la  Campana  " — hill  of  the  bell — 
so  called  because  its  rocks,  when  struck  to- 
gether, produce  a  sound  similar  to  that  of  a 
bell.  The  base  of  this  hill  is  bathed  by  a 
small  stream  running  from  east  to  west, 
which  is  sufficient  to  irrigate  the  lands  be- 
tween San  Juanico  and  Chanate  cultivated 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  of  the 


36  SONOBA. 

pueblo  of  Ceris,  which  is  in  sight  to  the 
south ;  the  said  lands  being  in  length,  from 
east  to  west,  four  to  five  leagues.  A  large 
aqueduct  passes  through  the  middle  of  the 
settlement,  which  also  serves  for  irrigating 
the  neighboring  lands ;  another  passes  near 
the  river  and  the  "  Cerro  de  la  Campana," 
and  a  third  divides  the  city  north  and  south, 
furnishing  water  to  the  houses,  orchards  and 
gardens  in  the  immediate  neighborhood. 

Hermosillo,  according  to  the  last  census 
of  1840,  contained  11,655  inhabitants,  to 
which  should  be  added  2,000  Yaqui  Indians, 
making  the  total  population  13,655.  Its 
present  population — in  1843 — according  to 
the  regular  rate  of  increase,  should  not  be 
less  than  14,000. 

The  average  annual  quantity  of  its  agri- 
cultural products,  as  near  as  we  can  estimate, 
is  25,000  fanegas  of  wheat— about  64,000 
bushels ;  100,000  fanegas  of  maize,  and 
5,000  of  other  cereals,  beans  and  lentiles. 

There  are  also  raised  in  abundance,  Chile 


CITY   OP   HERMOSILLO.  37 

pepper,  garlic,  onions,  gourds  of  all  classes 
and  sizes,  and  sweet  potatoes. 

Other  vegetables  are  scarce,  as  they  are 
seldom  cultivated. 

The  fruits  are  abundant,  and  of  excellent 
quality,  especially  the  grapes,  musk  and  wa- 
ter melons ;  and  figs  grow  in  such  profusion 
that  large  quantities  are  wasted ;  poor  peo- 
ple are  permitted  by  the  owners  of  land  to 
gather  all  that  fall  from  the  trees.  Sweet 
and  sour  oranges,  lemons,  citrons,  limes, 
pomegranates  and  peaches,  are  also  abun- 
dant, though  not  equal  in  quality  to  those 
of  Arispe  and  San  Ignacio.  The  guava  is 
cultivated,  and  the  plantain  tree  attains  a 
large  size,  and  is  loaded  with  fruit,  which 
gradually  falls  as  it  ripens. 

The  cultivation  of  the  vine  has  tended 
much  to  the  aggrandizement  of  the  city. 
The  average  annual  product  of  the  grape 
is  1,500  barrels  of  aguadiente  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  quarts  each,  as  many 
of  vinegar,  and  but  a  few  barrels  of  wine ; 
D 


38  SONORA. 

since  it  has  been  found  impossible,  even  with 
the  greatest  care,  to  make  good  wine,  it  in- 
variably turning  sour  on  the  approach  of 
hot  weather.  But  few  raisins  are  made,  and 
those  are  of  inferior  quality.  We  have 
heard  from  various  proprietors  of  vineyards 
that  their  profits  were  two,  three  and  four 
thousand  dollars  per  annum;  but,  if  they 
exercised  greater  economy,  and  possessed 
sufficient  experience  to  manufacture  wines 
and  brandies  equal  to  those  of  Europe,  their 
gains  would  be  infinitely  greater. 

The  cultivation  of  cotton  was  commenced 
in  the  year  1811  by  several  persons;  among 
them,  Don  Kafael  Diaz,  who  succeeded  in 
raising  good  crops,  and  manufactured  narrow 
cloths,  half  a  yard  in  width.  For  two  or 
three  years  this  enterprise  steadily  advanced, 
but  then  an  incurable  disease  attacked  the 
plant,  and  after  many  fruitless  attempts  to 
remedy  this,  its  cultivation  was  abandoned. 
This  continued  until  1842,  when  a  few  per- 
sons, stimulated  by  the  establishment  of  the 


CITY    OF   HERMOSILLO.  39 

cloth  manufactory  of  Los  Angeles,  took  steps 
to  revive  the  cultivation  of  cotton,  and  there 
are  now  several  considerable  plantations  on 
the  estates,  four  to  eight  leagues  to  the  west 
of  the  city,  called  Tennaje  and  Palomos,  and 
at  "  Chino  Gordo,"  four  leagues  to  the  east. 

The  cultivation  of  the  sugar  cane  has 
also  been  unsuccessful,  the  general  opinion 
being  that  neither  the  soil  nor  climate  is 
suitable  for  this  plant ;  some  "  cargas  "  of 
sugar,  however,  are  produced,  mostly  in  San 
Jnanica  and  Ceris.  Within  two  years,  the 
cultivation  of  the  large  cane  of  the  coast 
has  been  commenced,  and  this,  if  success- 
ful, will  be  an  important  branch  of  agri- 
culture. 

The  soil  of  Sonora  is  not  generally  fertile, 
though  more  so  in  some  parts  than  in  others. 
Upon  a  hacienda  of  Messrs.  Astiaseranes, 
and  that  of  Topajui,  on  the  road  to  Ures, 
the  average  yield  of  wheat  is  two  hundred 
and  fifty  or  three  hundred  to  one ;  and  many 
others  are  equally  productive.  In  the  haci- 


40  SONORA. 

endas  of  Hermosillo,  the  yield,  though  not 
so  large,  is  still  respectable,  being  from  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty to  one  from  the  better  lands,  but  not 
more  than  fifty  to  one  from  the  least  pro- 
ductive. 

Hermosillo  contains  several  carpenter  and 
blacksmith  shops,  and  great  improvement 
has  been  made  in  these  branches,  thanks  to 
foreigners  who  have  settled  in  the  country. 
We  have  seen  wardrobes  and  other  pieces 
of  furniture  quite  equal  to  those  made  in 
the  United  States. 

The  public  buildings  are:  First  —  The 
mint,  which  has  been  idle  for  some  years,  for 
want  of  direction  and  supplies,  and.  now 
serves  as  barracks  for  the  troops.  Second — 
The  assayer's  office,  which  is  much  dilapi- 
dated. Third — The  municipal  buildings,  in- 
cluding the  prison — almost  in  ruins — and 
the  primary  school.  This  school  is  now 
held  in  a  building  purchased  by  the  city, 
and  is  in  charge  of  Don  Antonio  Villalpando. 


CITY   OF 


It  consists  of  two  departments,  male  and 
female,  and  the  number  of  pupils  exceeds 
one  hundred ;  public  examinations  are  held 
every  six  months.  The  principal  plaza,  in 
front  of  the  church,  is  four  hundred  varas 
square,  two  of  its  sides  being  enclosed  by 
private  dwellings,  and  the  other  two  .by 
the  church  and  municipal  buildings.  The 
church  was  built  when  Hermosillo  was  the 
presidio  of  Pitic,  and  is  sadly  in  want  of 
repairs.  It  is  poorly  supplied  with  sacred 
utensils,  but  three  of  which  are  of  silver, 
viz :  a  cibary  and  two  censers.  The  former 
is  valued  at  $2,000. 

To  the  west  of  the  city  is  a  chapel,  dedi- 
cated to  San  Antonio,  which  is  fast  falling 
to  decay  on  account  of  the  encroachments 
of  the  river,  and  has  consequently  been 
abandoned.  On  the  east  is  the  chapel  of 
Nuestra  Senora  del  Carmen — small,  but  in 
good  condition — and  a  ruined  chapel  on  the 
north. 

The  trade  of  Hermosillo  was  formerly  car- 


42  SONORA. 

ried  on  with  the  city  of  Mexico,  but  at  pres- 
ent it  is  confined  to  the  port  of  Guaymas. 

There  are  about  twenty-five  or  thirty 
shops  and  mercantile  establishments  in  the 
city,  and  only  three  or  four  merchants  can 
be  called  capitalists ;  all  others  transact  bus- 
iness on  credit,  and  are  frequently  compelled 
to  borrow  money  upon  interest  to  meet  their 
engagements. 

The  exact  value  of  the  goods  annually 
used  and  consumed  in  Hermosillo  we  can- 
not positively  state ;  but  to  the  best  of  our 
knowledge,  it  is  not  far  from  $800,000. 

There  is  a  small  market  for  the  sale  of 
meat,  fruits  and  vegetables ;  but,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  proper  regulations,  it  is  neither 
cleanly  nor  commodious.  There  are  no  reg- 
ular bakeries ;  and  consequently,  in  a  coun- 
try that  produces  an  abundance  of  excellent 
wheat,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  procure 
good  bread. 

Inns,  hotels,  or  public  houses,  are  un- 
known. Travelers  supplied  with  letters  of 


CITY    OF   HERMOSILLO.  43 

introduction  take  up  their  quarters  in  pri- 
vate houses;  those  not  so  fortunate  must 
either  hire  apartments,  or,  failing  in  this,  en- 
camp under  the  trees  outside  of  the  city. 

The  towns  belonging  to  the  department 
of  Hermosillo  are  six  in  number ;  of  these, 
Guaymas  is  the  most  important. 

It  is  situated  on  the  Gulf  of  California, 
on  the  western  coast  of  Mexico,  in  latitude 
27°  22'  north,  and  longitude  104°  30'  west 
of  Cadiz.  It  is  completely  sheltered  from 
the  sea  and  winds,  and  is  one  of  the  best 
harbors  upon  the  Pacific.  The  entrance 
runs  north  and  south,  and  is  formed  by  the 
island  of  Pajaros  on  the  east,  and  the  islands 
of  San  Vicente,  Pitayas  and  Tierra  Firma 
on  the  west.  There  is  also  another  en- 
trance, called  Boca  Chica,  formed  by  the 
island  of  Pajaros,  on  the  south,  and  the 
beach  of  Cochin  on  the  north.  The  length 
of  the  bay  is  four  to  five  miles.  The  bot- 
tom is  muddy,  and  when  vessels  remain  for 
some  time,  it  is  necessary  to  sight  the  an- 


44  SONORA. 

chors  every  fortnight.  The  depth  of  water 
at  the  island  of  Pajaros  is  seven  fathoms, 
which  gradually  decreases  to  two,  alongside 
of  the  mole.  This  latter,  according  to  the 
opinion  of  mariners,  is  one  of  the  best  on 
the  Pacific,  excepting  that  at  Callao.  The 
depth  of  water  at  the  anchorage  is  three 
fathoms,  and  vessels  drawing  fifteen  feet  are 
loaded,  discharged  and  hove  down  with  fa- 
cility. There  are  three  landing  places ;  but 
no  fortifications,  although  there  are  several 
points  well  suited  to  the  purpose. 

The  tides  are  irregular  and  uncertain,  i>6; 
ing  influenced  by  the  winds  from  the  gufif 
In  time  of  full  and  new  moon,  they  rise  and 
fall  eighteen  to  twenty  inches,  and  in  the 
autumnal  equinox,  about  four  feet. 

The  harbor  abounds  in  various  kinds  of 
delicate  fish ;  and  shell-fish  are  also  numer- 
ous, comprising  the  shrimp,  crab,  lobster, 
oyster,  and  muscles  of  different  kinds.  The 
town  is  situated  on  the  north  of  the  bay,  and 
is  surrounded  by  a  range  of  hills  of  moder- 


CITY    OF   HERMOSILLO.  45 

1  ' 

ate  height,  which  leave  but  one  single  en- 
^trance  from  the  land  side.  There  is  but  one 
principal  street  from  the  entrance  to  the  plaza, 
the  other  being  short  and  narrow;  the  soil 
**•  is  dry  and  rocky.  The  cold  is  not  severe, 
but  the  north  and  north-west  winds  blow\y 
with  great  violence  from  November  until 
March,  and  cause  much  inconvenience.  The 
summer  heat  is  excessive,  the  thermometer 
occasionally  rising  to  104°  in  the  shade,  and 
never  falling  below  96°  from  June  to  Sep- 
tember; and  when  the  north  wind  blows 
during  this  season,  it  is  so  dry  and  parching 
in  its  effects,  that  it  ruins  the  finer  articles 
of  furniture. 

The  health  of  the  place  is  good,  the  prin- 
cipal disorder  being  a  catarrh,  of  little  im- 
portance arid  of  short  duration. 

Water,  for  drinking,  is  drawn  from  wells 
sunk  on  the  skirts  of  the  town,  on  the  land 
side ;  it  is  brackish,  but  very  wholesome, 
especially  to  those  suffering  from  intestinal 
disorders. 


46  SONORA. 

Guaymas  derives  its  provisions,  especially 
flour  and  meats,  from  the  interior  of  the 
State ;  San  .Antonio  and  Santa  Rosa  furnish 
maize,  beans,  etc.,  whilst  from  the  Yaqui  are 
produced  fowls,  sheep,  and  grain. 

The  political  and  judicial  administration 
of  Guaymas  are  entrusted  to  two  Justices 
of  the  Peace,  a  Judge  of  First  Instance,  and 
a  Prefect. 

The  custom  house  lacks  proper  offices 
and  storehouses,  which  deficiency  is  supplied 
by  hiring  private  buildings,  the  cost  of  which, 
during  the  many  years  that  this  has  been  the 
custom,  would  have  more  than  sufficed  to 
erect  suitable  and  substantial  buildings. 

The  commerce  of  Guaymas  is  very  inac- 
tive, the  importations  not  exceeding  five  to 
seven  cargoes  in  the  busiest  years.  The  only 
article  of  export  in  Sonora  is  flour,  and  the 
average  annual  quantity  shipped  does  not 
exceed  seven  or  eight  thousand  "  cargas  "  of 
twelve  arrobas  each — equivalent  to  11,000 
or  12,000  barrels. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

.1FOHNM, 

CHAPTER  VI. 

RIVER    YAQUI    AND    ITS    SETTLEMENTS. 


THIS  river,  also  called  Buenavista,  rises  in 
the  Sierra  Madre  Maicova,  and  runs  from 
east  to  west,  through  Babispe,  Todos  Santos, 
the  pueblos  of  Soyopa,  Honavas,  Tenichi, 
San  Antonio,  and  Comuripa,  to  the  city  of 
Buenavista,  where  it  enters  the  Yaqui  set- 
tlements, and  finally  empties  into  the  Gulf  of 
California,  in  front  of  the  pueblo  of  Bahum. 

In  the  time  of  high  water,  it  is  navigable 
for  small  vessels ;  but  this  has  not  yet  been 
put  in  practice.  After  the  rains  have  ceased 
it  is  fordable,  though  still  deep  until  the 
droughts  in  April,  May,  and  June.  In  So- 
yopa,  Buenavista,  and  Honavas,  there  is 


48  SONORA. 

plenty  of  land  susceptible  of  cultivation; 
but  except  in  the  pueblo  of  Nuris,  no  steps 
have  been  taken  to  irrigate  the  soil,  and  the 
harvests  are  uncertain. 

During  the  heavy  rains  of  January,  1853, 
the  river  changed  its  bed,  dividing  at  Sanic, 
between  Eahum  and  Potun,  and  leaving  its 
old  channel  dry ;  the  lower  settlements,  as 
far  as  Belen,  were  in  imminent  danger  of  be- 
ing overwhelmed ;  several  persons  lost  their 
lives,  and  many  cattle  were  swallowed  up. 

The  Governor,  who  was  at  Huirivis,  with 
three  hundred  men,  was  forced,  with  his 
command,  to  seek  protection  from  the  ruins 
of  the  old  mission  house,  the  only  point  that 
remained  above  water.  Here  they  were 
compelled  to  remain  two  months,  losing  all 
their  horses,  and  suffering  acutely  from 
hunger;  at  the  expiration  of  which  time 
they  were  relieved  by  the  Indians,  who,  in 
one  day,  constructed  a  causeway  of  poles 
and  branches,  from  Huirivis  to  Rahum,  a 
distance  of  three  leagues.  The  river,  in 


RIVER   YAQUI   AND    ITS    SETTLEMENTS.  49 

this  change  of  its  channel,  abandoned  the 
towns  of  Rahum,  Huirivi,  and  Belen. 

The  agriculture  of  all  the  settlements  on 
the  river  is  confined  to  the  cultivation  of 
beans,  maize,  lentiles,  and  a  small  quantity  of 
wheat.  The  people  dispose  of  their  crops 
at  Guaymas,  Baroyeca,  and  Alamos,  and  sub- 
sist principally  upon  shell-fish,  "zayas,"  a 
sweet  and  succulent  root,  the  "  quelite,"  mes- 
cal, wild  strawberries,  and  other  fruits.  They 
also  eat  the  iguana,  snakes,  and  squirrels, 
and  many  of  them  are  fond  of  horse-flesh. 

These  settlements  possess  excellent  salt- 
pits,  which  supply  all  the  interior  towns, 
and  are  considered  as  the  property  of  the 
Yaquis.  In  1843,  General  Urea  monopo- 
lized the  salt-pits  at  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
paying  to  the  Indians  four  reals  per  "  carga/1 
and  delivering  it  in  launches  at  Guaymas, 
at  four  dollars  per  "  carga ; "  but  as  it  was 
impossible  to  prevent  the  importation  of  salt 
from  the  island  of  Carmen,  this  monopoly 
was  withdrawn. 
E 


50  SONORA. 

The  distance  from  Cocori  to  Cochori 
(places  which  are  about  seven  leagues  east 
of  the  coast)  is  thirty  leagues.  All  of  the 
intermediate  land  is  susceptible  of  a  high 
degree  of  cultivation,  as  the  soil  is  moist. 
The  irrigation  produced  by  one  overflow  of 
the  river  during  the  year  suffices  for  the 
production  of  wheat,  maize,  beans,  lentiles, 
and  various  kinds  of  fruit.  The  sugar  cane 
flourishes ;  also  cotton,  flax,  and  coffee  ;  but 
these  articles  have  only  been  raised  by  a 
few  persons,  by  way  of  experiment.  The 
sheep  of  these  settlements  attain  the  size  of 
a  yearling  calf,  and  are  so  fat  that  eight  dol- 
lars' worth  of  candles  has  been  made  from 
the  tallow  of  one  animal;  their  flesh  is 
most  savory  and  tender. 

Beef  cattle  are  also  raised  in  perfection, 
and  their  flesh  is  excellent ;  but  both  flocks 
and  herds,  formerly  so  numerous  in  these 
parts,  have  been  reduced  to  an  insignificant 
number.  At  the  end  of  the  last  century, 
when  the  Yaquis  held  an  established  posi- 


RIVER   YAQUI   AND   ITS    SETTLEMENTS.  51 

tion,  the  mission  of  Huirivis  owned  more 
than  40,000  head  of  cattle,  and  many  Indi- 
ans were  reputed  to  be  rich,  on  account  of 
the  number  of  their  stock ;  many  of  them 
were  said  to  possess  concealed  treasures, 
some  of  which  amounted  to  three  or  four 
large  jars  of  coin. 

Their  trade  with  the  lower  settlements 
was  carried  on  through  Guaymas,  and  with 
the  upper,  through  Buenavista,  Baroyeca, 
and  Alamos ;  here  they  brought  their  grain 
and  other  articles  of  merchandise. 

This  race  of  Indians  possesses  remarka- 
ble natural  abilities,  and  with  very  little  appli- 
cation they  soon  become  proficient  in  all  the 
mechanical  arts.  We  find  among  them  ma- 
sons, blacksmiths,  carpenters,  coppersmiths, 
makers  of  fireworks,  and  skillful  players  on 
the  harp  and  violin — all  of  which  they  seem 
to  acquire  intuitively. 

Their  character  is  resolute,  and  they  are 
daunted  by  no  obstacles  in  the  execution  of 
their  plans ;  and  they  keep  a  secret  intrusted 


52  SONORA. 

to  them  most  religiously,  preferring  death  to 
the  betrayal  of  their  trust. 

The  Yaqui,  with  few  exceptions,  desires 
nothing  more  than  a  sufficiency  of  food,  and 
a  cotton  shirt  and  drawers  for  himself,  and 
a  shawl  and  petticoat  for  his  wife ;  while  his 
children  are  allowed  to  go  naked,  with  the 
exception  of  a  cloth  about  the  loins.  His 
nature  is  gay  and  joyous,  and  he  is  fond  of 
his  native  dances,  in  which  he  excels.  His 
manners  and  customs  being  entirely  differ- 
ent from  those  of  the  whites,  he  is  naturally 
suspicious;  and  so  positive,  that  when  he 
supposes  he  has  been  deceived,  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  persuade  him  to  the  contrary. 

Some  of  these  Indians,  who  have  been  liv- 
ing from  childhood  among  the  whites,  read- 
ily conform  to  their  habits  and  mode  of  life. 
They  are  generally  copper-colored,  and  well 
made ;  the  women  are  of  medium  height, 
and  corpulent.  In  some  of  the  settlements 
the  women  are  exceedingly  fair  and  hand- 
some ;  these  are  children  of  the  "  Coyotas," 


RIVER   YAQUI   AND    ITS    SETTLEMENTS.  53 

who  are  the  result  of  the  intercourse  between 
the  Yaqui  priests  and  the  Indian  women. 

Their  language  is  distinct,  easy  of  com- 
prehension, and  capable  of  being  reduced  to 
grammatical  rules.  We  have  seen  two  works 
on  the  Yaqui  idiom — one  a  vocabulary  and 
the  other  a  grammar — which  were  compiled 
by  the  missionaries,  under  the  Spanish  rule. 

In  the  year  1740,  there  was  a  general  re- 
volt of  the  Yaquis;  induced,  it  is  said,  by  an 
escaped  convict,  who  persuaded  them  that 
the  Government  intended  to  deprive  them 
of  their  lands.  Eight  or  ten  thousand  Indi- 
ans took  arms,  but  were  met  by  the  Gov- 
ernor, Don  Agustin  Vindasola,  who  gave 
them  battle,  with  five  hundred  men,  and 
utterly  routed  them,  killing  more  than  2,000 
of  their  number. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  they  reassembled 
at  the  hill  of  Otancahui,  and  the  battle  was 
renewed ;  but  although  they  were  more 
numerous  and  better  prepared  than  on  the 
previous  occasion,  they  were  again  defeated, 


54  SONORA. 

with  the  loss  of  3,000  men.  This  terrible 
reverse  induced  them  to  sue  for  peace,  which 
was  granted ;  and  Yindasola,  after  shooting 
the  leaders  of  the  insurrection  and  restoring 
tranquility,  retired  with  his  troops. 

The  result  of  this  chastisement  was  pro- 
found peace  for  eighty-five  years,  until  1825, 
when  the  Yaquis  again  rose,  committing 
frightful  murders  in  the  towns  and  ranches, 
burning  houses  and  completely  desolating 
the  country.  Since  that  period,  the  Yaquis 
may  be  said  to  have  lived  in  a  constant 
state  of  rebellion,  and  independent  of  any 
government. 

In  1826  another  outbreak  took  place, 
headed  by  a  cunning  Indian,  called  Juan 
Vanderas,  who  persuaded  his  fellows  that  he 
was  inspired  by  Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe. 
In  1832  another  occurred,  headed  by  the 
same  Yanderas,  who,  according  to  common 
report,  had  an  understanding  with  some  of 
the  whites.  The  Yaquis,  to  the  number  of 
one  thousand,  set  out  for  the  settlements  of 


KIVER   YAQUI   AND   ITS    SETTLEMENTS.  55 

the  Pimas  and  Opatas,  in  order  to  prevail 
upon  them  to  take  part  in  the  revolt.  At  this 
time,  a  company  of  mounted  men — one  hun- 
dred in  number — under  the  command  of 
Don  Leonardo  Escalante,  a  retired  officer, 
left  Hermosillo,  and  their  ranks  being 
swelled  to  three  or  four  hundred  by  volun- 
teers from  other  places,  they  pursued  and 
came  up  with  the  rebels  at  Soyopa,  Vande- 
ras  being  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  at 
San  Antonio  de  la  Huerta.  A  battle  ensued, 
which  lasted  three*  hours,  when  the  Indians 
were  routed,  leaving  the  field  covered  with 
their  dead ;  among  others,  Don  N.  Cacillas, 
one  of  their  leaders,  a  man  of  good  family, 
from  Tepic.  Yanderas  and  an  Opata,  his 
second  in  command,  were  taken  prisoners, 
conducted  to  the  capital,  Arispe,  and  there 
shot,  after  having  confessed  that  their  object 
was  to  exterminate  the  inhabitants  of  the 
entire  Department. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  the  exact  popula- 
tion of  the  Yaqui  towns,  as  many  are  par- 


56  SONOKA. 

tially  deserted,  the  Indians  being  scattered 
among  the  thickets  of  reeds  that  line  both 
banks  of  the  river.  All  efforts  of  the  gov- 
ernment to  take  a  correct  census  of  these 
tribes  have  been  unavailing.  In  Hermosillo 
there  are  over  one  thousand  Yaquis  engaged 
in  tilling  the  soil  and  in  other  occupations ; 
about  the  same  number  in  Horcasitas,  Ures, 
etc.,  and  many  others  are  engaged  in  gold 
mining,  for  which  they  have  a  strong  predi- 
lection. Persons  who  have  resided  in  their 
settlements,  and  officers  who  have  been  en- 
gaged in  the  different  campaigns  against 
them,  state  positively  that  there  are  not,  at 
present,  three  thousand  warriors  in  the  river 
settlements. 

The  customs  of  the  Yaquis  are  diametri- 
cally opposed  to  our  own-  from  childhood 
they  are  addicted  to  theft,  licentiousness, 
gambling  and  drunkenness.  They  shun  the 
society  of  the  whites,  although  they  live 
near  them  for  the  sake  of  employment,  and 
they  have  never  been  observed  to  manifest 


RIVER   YAQUI    AND    ITS    SETTLEMENTS.  57 

the  slightest  feeling  of  generosity  or  grati- 
tude. 

They  allow  no  white  persons  to  live  among 
them,  except  such  as  pander  to  their  vices 
and  passions,  and  even  these  are  regarded 
with  distrust  and  slain  upon  the  slightest 
suspicion. 

Although  some  of  them  understand  Span- 
ish, they  always  use  their  native  tongue  in 
addressing  the  whites,  knowing  perfectly 
well  that  they  are  not  understood,  which 
seems  to  afford  them  much  amusement.  In 
their  conjugal  relations,  they  are  not  at  all 
jealous;  they  frequently  exchange  wives, 
and  an  elopement,  on  the  part  of  the  latter, 
is  regarded  with  the  most  philosophical  in- 
difference. 

Notwithstanding  these  degrading  traits,  it 
is  but  just  to  say,  that  by  them  is  performed 
nearly  all  the  labor  in  Sonora — in  working 
the  mines,  tilling  the  soil,  building  houses, 
etc.,  and  in  whatever  they  undertake,  they 
display  rare  skill  and  intelligence. 


58  SONORA. 

They  are  skillful  players  upon  the  flute, 
violin,  harp  and  guitar ;  they  are  also  firm 
and  persevering  in  their  enterprises,  and 
daring  in  war. 

When  the  Spanish  government  first  took 
notice  of  this  tribe,  it  granted  them  the  priv- 
ilege of  raising  tobacco  for  their  own  con- 
sumption, and  it  is  still  cultivated  by  them, 
although  it  is  not  equal  in  quality  to  that 
used  by  the  whites.  The  plant  is  yellowish, 
and  has  nearly  the  strength  of  our  tobacco, 
without  any  disagreeable  taste;  the  differ- 
ence being,  that  while  our  tobacco  plant  has 
broad  leaves,  the  "macuchi" — as  it  is  called 
by  the  Yaquis — has  a  narrow  leaf,  and  when 
gathered,  is  formed  into  large  balls  and  cov- 
ered with  the  husks  of  maize.  Notwith- 
standing this  privilege,  their  salt  pits  and 
their  spacious  lands,  which  seem  to  invite 
the  hand  of  man  to  develope  their  resources, 
it  may  be  safely  said  that  the  Yaquis  are 
the  most  wretched  beings  in  Sonora.  They 
also  possess  about  thirty  leagues  of  sea 


RIVER   YAQUI   AND   ITS    SETTLEMENTS.  59 

coast,  abounding  in  all  kinds  of  shell-fish,  in 
which  they  might  drive  a  profitable  trade ; 
but  addicted  as  they  are  to  vice,  indolence 
and  revolt,  for  the  purpose  of  robbery  and 
murder,  they  are  of  no  benefit  to  themselves 
or  to  the  State. 

They  alone,  of  all  the  Indians,  are  skillful  v 
pearl-divers ;  but  so  great  is  their  love  of  rob- 
bery, that  they  abandon  any  occupation, 
however  profitable,  for  the  purpose  of  steal- 
ing cattle  and  horses  from  the  ranches  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  river;  this  they 
practise  even  in  time  of  peace. 

In  the  last  century,  good  missionaries  es- 
tablished themselves  among  these  Indians, 
and  so  long  as  they  were  protected  by  the 
garrison  of  Buena  vista,  and  were  regularly 
visited  by  the  commander  of  that  post,  they 
enjoyed  perfect  safety  and  tranquility ;  but 
this  protection  having  been  gradually  with- 
drawn, the  Indians  rose  in  1825,  under  Juan 
Vanderas,  and  committed  the  most  frightful 
atrocities.  After  having  dispersed  a  small 


60  SONORA. 

body  of  troops,  with  the  loss  of  seven  men, 
they  murdered  Padre  Arguelles,  curate  of 
Torin,  Juan  Encinas  and  several  others;  they 
butchered  women  and  children  without  mer- 
cy, and  put  many  of  their  captives  to  death 
under  circumstances  of  the  most  revolting 
cruelty. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1842,  upon  the  eve 
of  the  revolution  of  "  Las  Gandaras,"  they 
murdered  the  Alcalde  of  Cocori,  who  was  of 
their  own  tribe,  and  whose  only  fault  was 
that  he  performed  his  duties  with  fidelity,  and 
refused  to  connive  at  their  robberies.  The 
same  fate  overtook  their  general,  Juan  Ma- 
ria Jusacamea,  who,  from  being  a  rebellious 
and  dangerous  Indian,  was  converted  into 
an  enthusiastic  and  faithful  supporter  of  the 
government.  He  also  undertook  to  repress 
the  thieving  propensities  of  his  fellow  Ya- 
quis,  and  was  assassinated  by  them  in  the 
year  1840. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


RIVER    MAYO    AND    ITS    SETTLEMENTS. 


THIS  river,  like  the  Yaqui,  rises  in  the 
Sierra  Madre,  and  waters  all  the  settlements 
of  the  Mayos.     This  tribe  is  of  the   same 
stock    as    the    Yaquis,  and  is  only  distin- 
guished   from    them   by   its    name,   which 
it  takes  from  the  river.      Their  language, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  words,  their 
customs,  propensities  and  vices  are  all  the 
same.     In  all  the  outbreaks  of  the  Yaquis, 
the  Mayos  have  taken  an  active  and  promi- 
nent part  in  murders,  robberies  and  burning 
of  ranchos  in  the  department  of  Alamos  \ 
and  owing  to  their  depredations,  the  hacien- 
das of  this  department  do  not  now  possess 
one-third  as  many  cattle  as  in  former  times. 
F 


62  SONORA. 

Among  the  Mayos  are  found  more  Indians 
of  fair  complexion  than  among  the  Yaquis, 
owing  to  the  more  frequent  intercourse  of 
the  former  with  the  whites  at  the  mines  of 
Alamos,  and  to  their  allowing  white  persons 
to  dwell  in  their  towns.  Especially  in  the 
settlements  of  Nabajoa  and  Santa  Cruz  there 
are  many  whites,  and  some  in  Conicari,  who 
occupy  themselves  in  cultivating  the  lands 
that  are  watered  by  the  river.  These  lands 
furnish  the  same  fruits  as  those  of  the  Ya- 
qui,  and  their  products  are  consumed  in  the 
city  of  Alamos,  Varoyeca,  and  the  other 
white  settlements. 

The  only  articles  manufactured  among  the 
Mayos  are  "  zarapes,"  of  so  firm  and  fine  a 
texture  that  they  are  not  excelled  by  the 
best  from  Saltillo.  In  agriculture  they  are 
as  backward  as  the  Yaquis.  There  are, 
however,  among  them  many  persons  who 
are  well  inclined,  who  have  never  taken  part 
in  any  revolt,  and  who  profess  friendship  for 
the  whites. 


RIVER   MAYO    AND    ITS    SETTLEMENTS.  63 

Their  towns  are  more  numerous  than  those 
of  the  Yaquis,  but  their  population  is  less. 

The  most  celebrated  of  all  the  revolution- 
ary leaders  of  the  Mayos,  was  Miguel  Este- 
van,  noted  for  his  cunning  and  audacity. 
He  was  at  one  time  the  chief  of  a  political 
party  among  the  whites,  during  a  civil  war, 
and  under  this  pretext  committed  numerous 
depredations  in  the  white  settlements.  Af- 
ter peace  was  restored,  he  pursued  the  same 
career  for  a  long  time,  causing  serious  dam- 
age to  the  honest  citizens  of  Alamos,  Yaro- 
yeca,  etc.  He  was  at  last  defeated  by  the 
miners  of  Varoyeca,  under  Palamores,  and 
having  thus  lost  his  prestige,  he  sank  into 
obscurity.  Finally,  he  was  apprehended  and 
taken  to  Ures,  where  instead  of  suffering  the 
penalty  of  his  crimes,  he  was  allowed  to  es- 
cape by  the  officer  who  had  him  in  charge. 
Of  his  subsequent  career,  nothing  is  known; 
it  is  not  unlikely  that  he  joined  the  Apaches. 

The  Mayo  pueblos,  reckoning  from  the 
Sierra  on  the  east  to  Conicari  on  the  west, 


64 


SONORA. 


and  thence  south  to  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
are  as  follows: 

Macollagui,  in  the  Sierra,  Conicari,  Camoa, 
Tecia,  Nabajoa,  Cuirimpo,  Guitajoa,  Echojoa, 
Santa  Cruz  and  Masiaca. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  settlements 
on  the  Yaqui  river : 

From  Buenavieta — 

To  Cocori 8  leagues. 

To  Bocum 3 

To  Torin 4 

To  Bicam 3 

To  Potam 4 

To  Rahum 1* 

To  Huirivis 2^ 

ToBelen...  ...2 


28 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PRESIDIO   OF  ALTAR,  NOW  THE  TOWN  OF  GTJADALUPE. 


THIS  presidio  is  the  most  populous  of  all; 
in  1822  it  contained  2,645  inhabitants,  and 
since  then  its  population  has  doubled,  owing 
to  the  discovery  of  its  mineral  wealth. 
Grain  is  raised  in  small  quantities,  and  a  va- 
riety of  fruits,  such  as  pomegranates,  figs, 
grapes,  etc. 

It  is  watered  by  a  river  that  springs  from 
Agua  Caliente,  but  its  waters,  in  the  dry 
season,  are  insufficient  for  the  purposes  of 
irrigation.  It  is  the  capital  of  its  depart- 
ment, which  comprises  the  following  pue- 
blos, viz :  Altar,  the  capital,  formerly  called 
Santa  Gertrudis  del  Altar;  the  Pina  settle- 
ment Oquitoa,  which  in  1828  contained  six 
F* 


66  SONORA. 

hundred  souls ;  Tabutama,  another  Pima  set- 
tlement, which  contained  about  five  hundred 
inhabitants;  Cavorca,  a  settlement  of  the 
same  tribe,  which  place,  on  account  of  the 
scarcity  of  water,  is  uninhabited  except  tem- 
porarily by  a  few  families — population  in 
1828,  six  hundred;  the  old  mining  region  of 
Cieneguilla,  sixteen  leagues  to  the  south, 
containing  a  few  families,  a  curate  and  some 
Yaqui  Indians,  in  all  about  five  hundred 
persons ;  the  mining  region  of  Zoni,  twenty 
to  twenty-five  leagues  to  the  north ;  that  of 
Cuitavac,  forty  leagues  to  the  north-west, 
on  the  road  to  Upper  California ;  its  popu- 
lation is  so  much  scattered  that  it  cannot  be 
calculated  with  certainty — probably  about 
one  thousand. 

The  discovery  of  mines  of  gold  and  silver 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Altar  gave  a  great 
impetus  to  its  progress,  and  its  population 
may  now  be  estimated  at  four  or  five  thous- 
and. It  contains  several  retail  shops  for  the 
sale  of  foreign  and  domestic  goods,  the  pro- 


PRESIDIO    OF   ALTAR.  67 

prietors  of  which  depend  on  the  market  of 
Hermosillo,  where  they  purchase  partly  for 
cash  and  partly  on  credit. 

The  principal  business  of  the  place  is 
raising  cattle  and  horses.  There  are  but 
few  of  the  inhabitants  who  are  not  owners 
of  stock,  although  they  are  exposed  to  the 
incursions  of  the  Apaches,  who  persecute 
them  with  the  greatest  tenacity ;  the  neigh- 
boring ranchos  are  exceedingly  fertile  and 
abundantly  watered,  but  have  frequently 
been  abandoned  to  the  merciless  barbadians. 
The  town  is  situated  in  a  plain ;  its  streets 
are  irregular,  the  houses  of  adobe  and  with- 
out architectural  beauty.  It  contains  a  small 
church  poorly  supplied  with  the  sacred  uten- 
sils, and  without  chaplain  or  curate. 

A  few  Papago  Indians,  at  times,  reside  on 
the  skirts  of  the  town,  and  are  employed  by 
the  inhabitants  in  the  manufacture  of  earth- 
enware and  baskets. 

The  town  is  garrisoned  by  about  a  dozen 
soldiers,  has  two  justices  of  the  peace,  a  pre- 


68  SONORA. 

feet,  and  judge  of  first  instance.  The  ex- 
tremes of  heat  and  cold  prevail,  notwith- 
standing which  the  climate  is  healthy,  as 
proved  by  the  longevity  of  the  inhabitants. 
A  certain  Contreras  reached  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  years;  many  might 
be  mentioned  who  lived  more  than  one  hun- 
dred years,  and  the  ordinary  duration  of  life 
is  from  sixty  to  eighty  years. 

PRESIDIO    OF    SANTA    CRUZ. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  northern  presidios 
of  Sonora  in  the  Pimeria  Alta ;  it  is  situated 
in  a  beautiful  valley,  clothed  in  verdure 
during  the  entire  year,  in  latitude  32°  15' 
N.  It  is  watered  by  a  river  which  takes  its 
rise  from  a  spring  to  the  north  of  the  valley. 
Its  lands  are  suitable  for  stock  raising  and 
for  all  kinds  of  grain,  especially  wheat,  which 
is  produced  of  excellent  quality;  it  also  pro- 
duces the  best  red  pepper  in  the  State,  and 
its  hides  are  large  and  much  esteemed.  To 
this  presidio  belong  the  town  of  Cocospera, 


PRESIDIO  OF  SANTA  CRUZ.         69 

the  rancho  of  San  Lazaro  and  four  others, 
entirely  ruined  and  depopulated  by  the 
Apaches;  it  has  always  been  particularly 
exposed  to  the  attacks  of  these  Indians,  on 
account  of  its  proximity  to  their  territory, 
and  its  being  on  their  direct  road  to  the 
interior. 

Its  distance  from  Villa  de  Guadalupe  is 
forty  leagues,  passing  the  following  places, 
viz:  Ocuca,  Santa  Ana,  Santa  Marta,  San 
Lorenzo,  Santa  Magdalena,  San  Ignacio,  Ten- 
enate,  Imuris  and  San  Lazaro.  Its  climate 
is  not  salubrious,  and  the  winters  are  ex- 
tremely severe ;  and  when  the  other  pueblos 
of  the  Department  are  suffering  from  intense 
heat,  heavy  clothing  is  necessary  at  Santa 
Cruz.  Its  population  does  not  exceed  five 
hundred,  including  soldiers,  and  its  houses 
and  walls  are  nearly  demolished;  the  only 
chronic  diseases  are  fevers,  owing  to  the 
numerous  swamps  that  environ  the  town. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


PRESIDIO    DE    BACUACHI, 


THIS  presidio  is  distant  from  Santa  Cruz 
twenty-seven  leagues,  by  the  road  through 
Arispe,  and  from  the  city  of  Mexico,  by  way 
of  Chihua,  six  hundred  and  twelve  leagues. 

Its  garrison  is  composed  of  Opatas,  whose 
number  has  greatly  diminished,  owing  to 
poverty  and  the  scarcity  of  the  necessaries 
of  life ;  it  is  an  infantry  corps,  and  formerly 
distinguished  itself  in  the  wars  with  the 
Apaches  and  the  revolts  of  the  Yaquis. 

The  population  of  the  presidio  ten  years 
ago  was  about  2,000,  besides  the  garrison ; 
but  it  is  now  reduced  to  less  than  one-fourth 
of  this  number  by  emigration  to  the  interior 
of  persons  fleeing  from  the  ravages  of  the 
Indians. 


PRESIDIO   DE   BACUACHI.  71 

It  was  at  one  time  exceedingly  rich  in 
cattle,  sheep  and  horses,  but  all  were  swept 
away  by  the  Apaches ;  this,  and  the  daily 
assassinations  committed  in  sight  of  the  pre- 
sidio, induced  a  general  emigration  of  the 
terrified  inhabitants.  Its  climate  is  cool  and 
healthy,  epidemics  are  unknown,  and  many 
of  the  inhabitants  reach  the  age  of  seventy, 
eighty  and  ninety  years. 

It  produces  good  wheat,  but  very  little  of 
the  other  cereals  is  sown,  as  the  early  frosts 
generally  destroy  the  crops  before  harvest; 
there  are  also  various  wild  fruits  used  for 
food,  and  among  them  the  acorn  of  the  ever- 
green oak,  which  has  a  most  agreeable  flavor. 

There  are  gold  mines  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, from  which,  before  the  invasions  of 
the  Apaches,  great  quantities  of  the  precious 
metal  were  extracted  of  more  than  twenty- 
two  carats  fine  ;  and  we  have  known  a  small 
trader,  who  visited  the  mines  with  his  wares, 
to  accumulate  more  than  forty  marks  in  a 
few  days. 


72  SONORA. 

The  church,  houses  and  barracks  are  in  a 
most  ruinous  condition;  the  local  govern- 
ment is  vested  in  two  justices  of  the  peace, 
subject  to  the  Sub-Prefect  of  Arispe. 


PRESIDIO    OF   FRONTERAS. 


This  presidio  is  situated  in  latitude  31°  N; 
before  the  rising  of  the  Apaches  it  contained 
2,000  inhabitants,  but  its  present  population 
does  not  exceed  five  hundred. 

The  lands  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  pre- 
sidio produce  excellent  wheat,  maize,  pep- 
pers and  beans;  also  the  most  delicious 
peaches  in  Sonora,  apples  and  the  bergamot 
pear. 

The  town  of  Fronteras  contains  but  one 
street,  at  the  foot  of  which  runs  a  creek, 
whose  waters  irrigate  the  neighboring  lands. 
Its  distance  from  Bacuachi  is  forty  leagues ; 
the  greater  part  of  the  road  lies  between 
dense  thickets,  and  travelers  are  constantly 
liable  to  be  surprised  and  murdered  by  the 
Apaches,  for  which  reason  they  always  go 


PRESIDIO   OF   TUBAC.  73 

armed  and  travel  by  night,  concealing  them- 
selves during  the  day  in  thickets  or  ravines. 
Since  the  year  1832,  two  hundred  persons 
have  been  killed  by  the  Apaches  in  the  pre- 
sidio of  Fronteras  alone. 

The  climate  is  cold  but  healthy;  good 
timber  is  abundant ;  also  wild  animals  and 
birds  suitable  for  the  table.  The  plains  are 
fertile  and  well  watered ;  the  local  Govern- 
ment is  administered  by  two  justices  of  the 
peace. 

PRESIDIO    OF    TUBAC. 

This  presidio,  distant  eighteen  leagues 
from  Santa  Cruz,  is  garrisoned  by  thirty 
men ;  it  contains  the  pueblo  of  San  Jose  de 
Tumacacori,  the  old  mission  of  that  name, 
formerly  rich  in  cattle  and  horses. 

It  is  situated  in  a  spacious  valley,  at  the 
foot  of  a  range  of  low  hills,  the  soil  of  which 
is  fertile  and  susceptible  of  a  high  degree  of 
cultivation,  producing  all  kinds  of  fruits; 
the  pastures  are  excellent,  and  water  for 


74  SONORA. 

stock  abundant  and  of  the  best  quality. 
The  climate  is  salubrious;  present  popula- 
tion about  four  hundred. 

There  is  a  rancho  in  this  district  called 
"  las  Calabazas,"  which,  as  well  as  a  rich  gold 
mine  in  its  neighborhood,  has  been  aban- 
doned for  fear  of  the  Apaches ;  the  presidio 
is  watered  by  the  same  river  that  flows 
through  Santa  Cruz. 


PRESIDIO    OF    TUCSON. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  northern  presidios 
of  the  frontier,  and  contains  no  white  inhab- 
itants; it  is  garrisoned  by  a  company  of 
cavalry  numbering  sixty  men,  and  its  popu- 
lation, including  the  garrison,  is  less  than 
1,000.  Tucson  has  several  times  been  be- 
seiged  by  the  Indians  in  bodies  from  1,000 
to  2,000  warriors ;  but,  although  these  have 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  walls  of  the  town, 
they  have  always  been  repulsed  by  the 
bravery  of  the  troops.  The  climate  is  warm, 


PRESIDIO    OF    TUCSON.  75 

notwithstanding  its  situation  so  far  north, 
and  the  only  prevailing  diseases  are  fevers 
at  the  changes  of  the  seasons. 

It  is  watered  by  the  river  that  passes 
Santa  Cruz,  on  each  side  of  which  is  a  spa- 
cious valley,  thirty  leagues  in  length,  sus- 
ceptible of  cultivation ;  it  could  be  irrigated 
with  the  greatest  facility  by  canals  from  the 
river,  and  from  an  abundant  spring  which 
lies  between  the  village  and  the  presidio. 

The  small  quantity  of  land  that  is  tilled 
produces  wheat,  corn,  beans,  lentiles  and 
pulse  in  great  abundance  and  of  excellent 
quality,  and  the  orchards  yield  a  large  sup- 
ply of  quinces,  peaches,  pears,  apples  and 
grapes. 

The  distance  from  Tucson  to  the  river 
Gila  is  forty  leagues,  over  a  smooth  road, 
no  hills  being  encountered  until  near  the 
banks  of  the  river. 

The  Indians  of  the  Gila  are  known  as 
"Pimas  Gilenos."  There  is  another  tribe 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  on  the  road 


76  SONORA. 

to  Monterey,  called  the  "  Cocomaricopas  del 
Tesotal ;"  these  two  tribes  are  very  numer- 
ous, and  their  respective  languages  are  dif- 
ferent. They  live  in  straw  huts,  and  are 
united  in  a  number  of  settlements  on  both 
sides  of  the  river.  They  raise  corn,  beans, 
melons  and  gourds  of  exquisite  flavor  and  of 
so  enormous  a  size  that  two  of  them  have 
been  known  to  weigh  six  arrobas — 150 
pounds. 

They  also  raise  cotton,  from  which  they 
manufacture  cloth  remarkable  for  its  fine 
texture  and  enduring  quality ;  and  they  are 
fond  of  hunting  the  game  that  abounds  in 
their  country. 

There  has  existed  on  the  Gila,  from  time 
immemorial,  a  white  house,  the  origin  of 
which  is  unknown,  much  dilapidated  by  the 
wear  of  time ;  also,  the  remains  of  a  large 
aqueduct  and  fragments  of  fine  porcelain, 
all  of  which  seems  to  prove  the  existence  of 
a  civilized  race  in  these  regions  at  some 
remote  period  of  antiquity. 


PRESIDO    OF   TUCSON.  77 

The  Gilas  wage  war  constantly  with  the 
Apaches,  and  since  the  Spaniards  have  also 
been  the  bitter  foes  of  the  latter  tribe,  the 
Gilas  have  been  warm  friends  of  the  whites, 
and  treat  them  with  the  greatest  hospitality 
when  they  visit  their  rancherias.  When 
they  take  prisoners  in  war,  they  release 
them  upon  the  payment  of  an  adequate 
ransom  in  money  and  clothing. 

They  frequently  visit  Guaymas  in  parties 
of  twenty  to  forty,  commanded  by  chiefs 
who  speak  Spanish  fluently,  and  offer  their 
services  to  the  Government.  Their  arms 
are  bows  and  arrows,  and  some  have  guns. 

They  are  of  medium  height,  stout,  cop- 
per-colored and  with  a  profusion  of  hair, 
which  they  take  great  pains  to  preserve. 
They  wear  a  strip  of  goat  skin  about  the 
loins,  and  some  have  shoes  of  the  same;  the 
greater  part  of  them  have  no  covering  for 
the  head.  The  chiefs  alone  wear  breeches 
and  straw  hats  ornamented  with  feathers; 
the  Government  lately  presented  uniforms 


78 


SONORA. 


to  the  chiefs,  and  a  quantity  of  cloth  to  the 
common  people,  at  which  they  expressed 
great  satisfaction. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

t :. \LIFORNI  A. 

•x 

OHAPTEE  1L. 

PRESIDIO    OF    BABISPE. 


THIS  presidio  is  situated  in  the  north-east- 
ern portion  of  the  Department,  on  the  road 
to  Vizeaya.  It  was  formerly  garrisoned  by 
seventy-two  Opatas,  who  are  now  reduced  to 
thirty.  It  contains  the  towns  of  Guachinera 
and  Baserae,  and  the  haciendas  Santa  Ana 
and  Loreto ;  it  formerly  comprised  a  num- 
ber of  wealthy  ranches,  but  all  have  been 
despoiled  by  the  Apaches. 

Babispe  possesses  excellent  grazing  lands, 
well  supplied  with  water,  and  traversed  by 
the  river  "  Yaqui,"  commonly  called,  in  this 
Department,  the  Bio  Grande. 

The  population  does  not  exceed  six  hun- 
dred, including  the  garrison  and  their  fami- 


80  SONORA. 

lies ;  they  manufacture  excellent  soap,  and 
leather  of  good  quality.  Two  leagues  east 
of  Guachinera  is  a  rich  silver  mine,  deserted 
on  account  of  the  Apaches. 

The  Opatas  comprising  the  garrison  de- 
serve a  place  in  the  history  of  Sonora,  for 
their  daring  intrepidity  in  war.  They  par- 
ticularly distinguished  themselves  in  the 
campaigns  against  the  Apaches,  and  in  the 
civil  wars  were  staunch  defenders  of  the 
Government. 

The  only  revolt  in  which  they  were  ever 
engaged  took  place  in  1820,  for  some  cause 
unknown ;  when,  being  joined  by  others  of 
their  tribe,  making  their  force  three  hun- 
dred men,  they  marched  to  Tonichi,  where 
they  defeated  Colonel  Lomban,  at  the  head 
of  1,000  troops,  having  previously  routed 
the  command  of  Captain  Lurion,  and  taken 
him  prisoner.  After  these  successes  they 
proceeded  to  Arivechi,  where  they  complete- 
ly annihilated  a  company  of  sixty  men,  from 
Chihuahua,  under  the  command  of  Captain 


PRESIDIO  OF  SAN  CARLOS  DE  BUENA  VISTA.      81 

Moreno.  After  leaving  Arivechi,  they  were 
surprised  by  two  divisions  of  troops — one 
from  Chihuahua,  commanded  by  Falco,  and 
the  other  led  by  Colonel  Antonio  Narvona, 
the  two  composing  a  force  of  over  2,000 
men.  The  Opatas  met  them  with  coolness 
and  resolution,  and  maintained  the  unequal 
contest  in  the  open  plain  for  more  than  four 
hours,  when  they  retreated  into  the  church  of 
Arivechi,  where  they  defended  themselves 
until  their  last  cartridge  was  expended. 
This  battle,  unparalleled  in  the  annals  of 
Sonora,  lasted  two  days  and  one  night. 

Babispe  is  six  leagues  from  the  boundary 
line  of  Chihuahua ;  forty  leagues  from  Aris- 
pe ;  thirty  from  Tucson,  and  forty-eight  from 
Tubac. 

PRESIDIO    OF    SAN    CARLOS    DE    BTJENAVISTA. 

This  presidio  is  in  the  south  of  the  De- 
partment, on  the  main  road  to  the  city  of 
Alamos ;  it  is  distant  from  Arispe  one  hun- 
dred leagues,  by  the  way  of  Hermosillo,  and 


82  SONORA. 

eighty-five  leagues  by  the  road  of  Matape. 
It  is  situated  upon  a  small  hill  of  naked  rock, 
for  which  reason  the  summer  heats  are  intol- 
erable ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  Kio  Grande, 
which  laves  the  eastern  base  of  the  hill, 
affording  frequent  and  refreshing  baths  to 
the  inhabitants,  the  place  would  be  unin- 
habitable during  the  hot  months. 

Notwithstanding  its  importance  as  a  mili- 
tary position,  forming  a  barrier  against  the 
encroachments  of  the  Yaquis  and  Mayos,  it, 
like  the  other  presidios,  has  been  neglected 
and  suffered  to  decay. 

Its  garrison,  since  1817,  when  the  presidio 
began  to  decline,  has  been  decreasing,  and 
now  comprises  but  one-fourth  of  its  proper 
force ;  the  soldiers,  too,  are  poorly  equipped 
and  seldom  paid. 

Buenavista  deserves  to  be  a  place  of  im- 
portance, both  on  account  of  its  command- 
ing position  with  respect  to  the  Yaquis  and 
Mayos,  and  because  it  is  capable  of  great 
progress  in  all  matters  that  are  conducive 


PRESIDIO  OF  SAN  CARLOS  DE  BUENA  VISTA.      83 

to  the  prosperity  of  its  inhabitants.  It  pos- 
sesses fertile  lands,  that  might  easily  be 
irrigated,  on  both  sides  of  the  river;  and 
as  the  river  is  navigable  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  year,  timber,  grain,  and  other 
productions  of  the  country  could  be  easily 
transported  to  Guaymas. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  the  presidio,  there 
is  no  lack  of  mines  of  gold  and  silver.  The 
pueblos  of  Cumuripa,  the  place  called  Cen- 
draditas,  and  San  Francisco  de  Borja,  now 
deserted  on  account  of  the  civil  wars,  con- 
tain mines  of  both  metals,  which,  when 
worked,  yielded  abundantly. 

It  also  possesses  excellent  grazing  lands; 
most  of  the  stock,  however,  has  been  stolen 
by  the  Yaquis,  who  have  carried  off  as  many 
as  five  hundred  cattle  on  one  single  occa- 
sion. At  one  time,  Don  Jose  Otero,  a  citi- 
zen of  Buenavista,  was  compelled  to  fly  to 
Alamos,  leaving  his  three  ranches  to  the 
mercy  of  the  Indians,  who  plundered  them 
of  stock  to  the  value  of  $30,000. 


84 

The  river  which  passes  through  the  Ya- 
qui  settlements  is  the  largest  in  the  De- 
partment; it  is  only  fordable  during  the 
dryest  season,  and  is  at  all  times  navigable 
by  large  canoes.  Its  current  is  rapid  at 
Buenavista  and  many  other  points ;  and  it 
contains  an  abundance  of  fine  fish. 

The  climate  of  Buenavista,  in  spite  of  the 
excessive  heat,  is  healthy — the  cold  moder- 
ate, and  its  water  very  superior. 

In  the  time  of  its  greatest  prosperity, 
when  its  garrison  was  complete,  and  it  was 
not  harassed  by  revolutions  and  civil  wars, 
its  population  amounted  to  3,000,  including 
the  garrison  and  the  rancheros.  Its  bar- 
racks are  now  nearly  in  ruins,  and  the  old 
chapel,  although  rebuilt  seven  years  since, 
is  small  and  scantily  supplied  with  the  sa- 
cred articles.  Most  of  the  time  the  inhabi- 
tants are  without  a  curate  or  chaplain,  unless 
supplied  from  the  town  of  Cocori. 

A  most  profitable  business  for  this  place 
would  be  the  transportation  of  ores  to  Guay- 


PRESIDIO  OF  SAN  CARLOS  DE  BUENAVISTA.      85 

mas,  where  they  could  be  shipped  in  foreign 
vessels  as  ballast.  Along  the  river,  above 
Buenavista,  are  hundreds  of  veins  of  ore  of 
gold  and  silver — not  containing  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  precious  metals,  but  very 
abundant;  and  immense  quantities  can  be 
extracted  at  a  comparatively  trifling  ex- 
pense. In  many  places,  indeed,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  river,  large  quantities  of  ore 
are  scattered  about  on  the  surface.  Don 
Ignacio  Zuniga  entertained  the  idea  of  this 
project,  and  obtained  a  special  privilege  in 
relation  thereto;  but  as  he  died  before  com- 
mencing the  enterprise,  it  was  never  carried 
into  effect. 

In  closing  this  sad  record  of  the  presidios, 
we  may  remark,  that  the  sufferings  of  the 
inhabitants,  and  the  fortitude  with  which 
they  endured  them,  are  almost  unexampled 
in  history. 

Hundreds  of  families,  reduced  to  beggary,, 
have  been  driven  from  their  homes,  after 
witnessing  the  slaughter  of  parents,  wives, 
H 


86  SONORA. 

and  children,  by  the  ferocious  barbarians ; 
and  not  a  month  has  passed,  during  the  last 
four  years,  without  the  plains  of  the  north 
being  bathed  in  Sonorian  blood.  In  such  a 
state  of  things,  it  is  the  imperative  duty  of 
the  Supreme  Government  either  to  reestab- 
lish the  presidios  on  their  former  basis,  or  if 
this  cannot  be  done,  to  offer  such  induce- 
ments as  would  secure  the  immigration  of 
industrious  foreigners,  who  would  colonize 
those  regions  that  are  now  deserted,  and 
would,  in  time,  form  an  impassable  barrier 
against  the  cruel  and  desolating  incursions 
of  the  Apaches. 


CHAPTER  XL 

CERIS    AND    THE    ISLAND    OF    TIBURON. 


THE  Ceris,  prior  to  the  invasion  of  the 
"  Cimarrones  "  —  Pirnas  and  Apaches  —  in 
1779,  were  located  at  a  pueblo  called  El 
Populo,  one  league  east  of  Horcasitas.  In 
1789,  the  few  families  that  survived  the  war 
were  removed  to  the  pueblo  of  Ceris,  called 
San  Pedro  de  la  Conquista.  In  1780,  the 
first  regular  troops — called  "  migueletes  " — 
arrived  in  Sonora,  under  the  command  of 
Col.  Elisondo.  These  put  down  the  Cimar- 
rones by  force  of  arms ;  and  as  the  greater 
part  of  the  Ceris  took  part  in  the  insurrec- 
tion, they  were  nearly  exterminated  in  the 
bloody  battles  that  ensued.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  the  remnant  of  the  Ceris  retained 


88  SONORA. 

their  rebellions  propensities  ;  and  the  insig- 
nificance of  their  numbers  not  permitting 
an  open  revolt,  they  amused  themselves  by 
plundering  the  ranches  on  the  coast  of  Ti- 
buron,  and  by  murdering  muleteers  and 
travelers  on  the  highways.  They  seem  to 
have  taken  advantage  of  every  occasion 
when  the  troops  were  engaged  in  quelling 
the  outbreaks  of  the  Yaquis  and  Opatas,  not 
reflecting  that  upon  the  reestablishment  of 
peace  they  were  certain  of  being  chastised 
in  their  turn. 

At  length  complaints  against  them  be- 
came so  numerous  that  an  expedition,  com- 
prising a  schooner  and  two  launches,  having 
on  board  two  hundred  and  twenty  infantry 
and  thirty  cavalry,  was  sent  to  the  island  of 
Tiburon,  under  command  of  Col.  Andrade. 
After  thoroughly  scouring  the  island,  Ari- 
drade  returned,  leaving  a  garrison  of  twen- 
ty-five men,  and  bringing  two  hundred  pris- 
oners, men.  women  and  children,  of  which 
number  but  thirty  were  warriors.  These  un- 


CERIS  AND    THE 

fortunate  captives  were  distributed  among 
the  inhabitants  of  the  city  as  servants. 
Most  of  these,  unable  to  endure  the  confine- 
ment and  irksome  labor,  made  their  escape 
to  their  old  haunts  within  two  months.  Not 
a  single  Ceri  was  left  upon  the  island.  Six- 
teen families,  comprising  thirty-four  war- 
riors, were  absent  from  it  when  the  troops 
landed ;  and  these  are  supposed  to  be  the 
ones  who  afterwards  committed  depreda- 
tions in  the  neighborhood  of  Guaymas  and 
the  ranches  on  the  coast. 

The  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  expedi- 
tion described  the  island  as  being  rocky  and 
barren,  with  but  three  or  four  watering 
places ;  it  being  uncertain  whether  the  wa- 
ter was  permanent  or  not  during  the  dry 
season.  Neither  fruits,  timber  nor  wild  an- 
imals were  found,  the  Ceris  living  upon  fish, 
sacates  and  certain  shrubs  upon  the  coast, 
as  well  as  the  flesh  of  horses  and  goats. 
The  exhalations  from  their  bodies  emit  a 
most  intolerable  stench,  similar  to  that  of  a 


90  SONORA. 

putrid  carcass,  and  it  is  impossible  to  remain 
long  in  their  company. 

The  road  from  Hermosillo  to  the  embar- 
cadero  is  level  and  unobstructed.  In  the 
dry  season  it  is  necessary  for  the  traveler  to 
carry  water  with  him. 

Of  all  the  Indian  tribes  in  Sonora,  the 
Ceris  are  the  most  rude  and  uncultivated. 
Their  morals  are  corrupt  to  the  last  degree. 
They  are  excessively  addicted  to  drunken- 
ness, filthy  in  their  habits,  and  bitterly  hos- 
tile to  the  whites.  Under  the  Spanish  do- 
minion they  were  settled  at  the  pueblo  of 
San  Pedro  de  la  Conquistaj  and  lands  as- 
.signed  to  them  for  their  support ;  but  such 
was  their  indolence  that  they  would  perform 
no  labor,  except  to  procure  the  means  of 
gratifying  their  fondness  for  ardent  spirits. 

Their  language  is  guttural  and  difficult  to 
acquire;  and  although  the  inhabitants  of 
Hermosillo  have  frequent  intercourse  with 
the  Indians,  very  few,  if  any,  can  converse 
with  them  in  their  own  tongue.  Their  dress 


CERIS  AND   THE  ISLAND   OF   TIBURON.  91 

is  either  of  the  skins  of  the  pelican  or  a 
coarse  blanket  wrapped  around  the  waist; 
some  wear  nothing  but  a  strip  of  cloth 
about  the  loins,  and  none  of  them  wear 
shoes.  They  paint  their  faces  in  black 
stripes,  and  many  pierce  the  cartilage  of  the 
nose  and  append  to  it  pieces  of  a  green 
stone  resembling  glass. 

The  women  perform  the  greater  part  of 
the  labor,  gathering  in  the  crops,  fishing, 
and  selling  earthenware  and  other  articles. 
They  are  as  completely  given  up  to  intem- 
perance as  their  lords  and  masters.  The 
men  are  tall,  erect  and  stout  generally,  hav- 
ing large,  black  and  brilliant  eyes ;  the  wo- 
men are  copper  colored  and  not  ill  looking. 
The  dress  of  these  is  the  pelican's  skin  with 
the  feathers,  which  covers  the  form  from  the 
waist  down ;  the  upper  part  of  the  body  is 
uncovered.  When  the  Ceri  women  visit 
Hermosillo,  the  ladies  of  that  city,  out  of 
charity  and  a  regard  to  decency,  bestow 
upon  them  old  gowns  and  other  articles  of 


92  SONOKA. 

dress.  These  are  worn  until  they  drop  to 
pieces,  the  Ceris  having  no  idea  of  washing 
their  garments. 

The  Ceris  were  never  a  numerous  tribe. 
At  one  time  they  amounted  to  about  2,000 
persons ;  but  their  present  number,  includ- 
ing two  hundred  and  fifty-nine  on  the  island 
of  Tiburon,  does  not  exceed  five  hundred, 
about  eighty  of  whom  may  be  warriors. 
Two  of  the  tribe  have  been  celebrated  for 
their  obstinate  resistance  to  the  government. 
One  was  called  Ambrosio  Salgado  and  the 
other  Alonzo ;  both  chiefs,  who,  after  the  par- 
tial destruction  and  subjection  of  their  tribe, 
wandered  about  the  country  committing 
numerous  robberies  and  murders  ;  their  ex- 
treme cunning  saving  them  from  being  ap- 
prehended, until  Ambrosio  was  finally  treach- 
erously assassinated  by  a  boy,  and  Alonzo 
surprised  by  a  party  of  soldiers. 

These  Indians  have  but  one  wife  each, 
but  latitude  is  allowed  in  their  conjugal  re- 
lations. They  have  no  religion  beyond  the 


PUEBLO    OF   CERIS.  93 

worship  of  the  moon,  which  they  adore  as  a 
divinity.  Upon  the  appearance  of  the  new 
moon  they  prostrate  themselves  upon  the 
earth,  kissing  the  ground,  beating  their 
breasts  and  making  innumerable  genuflec- 
tions. 


PUEBLO  OF  CERIS,  OR  SAN  PEDRO  DE  LA  CONQTJISTA. 

The  following  statistics  relative  to  this 
pueblo  are  taken  from  the  report  of  its  mu- 
nicipal secretary,  Don  Manuel  Cabrera,  in 
the  year  1844. 

This  town  is  situated  to  the  south  of  Her- 
mosillo,  on  the  river  Sonora.  Its  extent, 
from  one  church  to  the  other,  is  about  one 
quarter  of  a  league,  and  its  distance  from 
the  Gulf  of  California  twenty-eight  to  thirty 
leagues. 

The  inhabitants  are  generally  engaged  in 
agriculture,  raising  annually  about  15,000 
fanegas  of  different  kinds  of  grain.  Cat- 
tle and  horses  are  abundant,  but  no  mines 


94  SONORA. 

worthy  of  mention  exist  in  this  vicinity. 
The  only  trees  found  in  the  neighborhood 
are  the  iron-wood,  which  is  incorruptible ; 
the  mesquite,  which  lasts  one  hundred  years 
without  decaying;  the  huayacan,  a  very 
solid  and  compact  wood ;  and  the  huevito, 
the  grain  of  which  is  superior  to  that  of  the 
finest  foreign  timber.  Among  medicinal 
herbs,  the  "  confituria  "  is  the  most  valuable, 
as  it  is  said  to  be  a  specific  for  hydrophobia. 
The  agricultural  products  are  various  spe- 
cies of  wheat  and  Indian  corn,  beans  of  dif- 
ferent sizes  and  colors,  pulse,  lentiles,  Chile 
peppers,  sweet  potatoes,  garlic,  onions,  etc. 
Garden  vegetables  are  not  abundant;  excel- 
lent lettuce,  cabbages,  cauliflowers  and  rad- 
ishes are  raised,  but  their  cultivation  is  neg- 
lected. Figs  are  raised  in  great  profusion ; 
the  other  fruits  are  grapes,  peaches,  apricots, 
pomegranates,  quinces,  sweet  and  sour  or- 
anges, limes,  citrons  and  guavas.  Of  the 
different  beans,  the  "tamari"  is  the  best; 
its  color  is  white,  its  taste  peculiar  and  not 


PUEBLO    OF   CERIS.  95 

agreeable  to  persons  unaccustomed  to  it,  but 
it  is  so  easy  of  digestion  that  physicians  al- 
low it  as  an  article  of  diet  in  almost  all 
diseases. 

Wheat  is  generally  sown  from  October  to 
December — sometimes  as  late  as  January ; 
it  makes  its  appearance  above  the  ground  in 
eight  or  ten  days,  and  is  harvested  from  May 
to  July.  Two  crops  of  beans  are  raised  an- 
nually; the  first  is  planted  in  February  or 
March,  and  the  second  in  July  and  August. 

Two  crops  of  maize  are  also  sometimes 
produced,  the  most  abundant  being  the  crop 
gathered  in  November  and  December ;  that 
gathered  in  July  or  August  is  generally  of 
inferior  quality,  and  serves  as  food  for  serv- 
ants. Grain,  flour  and  other  products  of 
this  pueblo  are  transported  to  Guaymas  and 
other  places,  in  wagons  drawn  by  mules  and 
oxen. 

There  are  several  grist  mills  turned  by 
water  power;  one  of  them  grinds  from  twen- 
ty-five to  thirty  "  cargas  "  of  flour  in  twenty- 


9b  SONORA. 

four  hours,  the  others  about  half  that  quan- 
tity each.  The  cultivation  of  sugar  cane 
has  been  commenced  and  is  gradually  in- 
creasing. 

This  pueblo  has  but  one  small  chapel, 
no  benevolent  institutions  and  no  primary 
school;  the  mechanical  arts  are  almost  un- 
known ;  there  are  one  or  two  carpenters  and 
blacksmiths,  who  only  make  a  few  necessary 
articles,  such  as  axes,  adzes,  bits,  spurs,  etc. 

The  climate  is  agreeable  and  healthy ;  the 
population,  according  to  the  last  census,  was 
3,000,  including  fifteen  families  of  Ceris;  the 
municipal  government  is  vested  in  two  jus- 
tices of  the  peace,  subject  to  the  tribunal  of 
first  instance  at  Hermosillo. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


OPATA    SETTLEMENTS. 


EVER  since  the  conquest  of  the  country, 
the  Opata  tribe  has  manifested  a  frank  and 
docile  disposition  and  friendly  feelings  to- 
wards the  whites,  and  has  given  unequivo- 
cal proofs  of  its  love  of  peace  and  tranquil- 
ity. 

Three  companies  of  infantry  were  raised 
among  these  Indians,  which  for  many  years 
performed  prodigies  of  valor  in  the  cam- 
paigns against  the  Apaches;  it  frequently 
happening  that  a  single  Opata  successfully 
encountered  eight  or  ten  Apaches.  These 
Indians  have  never  revolted  except  in  the 
year  1820,  when,  as  has  already  been  stated, 
they  displayed  a  heroism  worthy  of  com- 
memoration. 


98  SONORA. 

The  Opatas  that  now  exist  in  Sonora  are 
engaged  in  cultivating  the  soil,  though  on  a 
small  scale ;  they  are  not  drunkards  like  the 
Yaquis,  Ceris  and  Pimas,  and  but  few  of 
them  are  given  to  theft.  They  are  excel- 
lent as  escorts  and  guards,  and  are  in  great 
demand  for  this  purpose ;  as  they  never  de- 
sert their  charge,  however  imminent  the 
danger,  and  their  powers  of  endurance  are 
such  that  they  have  been  known  to  perform 
journeys  of  forty  to  fifty  leagues  in  twenty- 
four  hours. 

They  are  also  entitled  to  the  credit  of 
being  the  most  moral  and  least  superstitious 
of  all  the  tribes.  Their  manners  and  cus- 
toms are  similar  to  those  of  the  whites;  the 
men  generally  wear  shirts,  white  drawers, 
pantaloons  and  shoes  of  untanned  hide,  and 
the  women  gowns  and  petticoats,  and  "rebo- 
zos"  of  ordinary  quality. 

Their  speech  is  forcible  and  eloquent; 
their  language  contains  many  Spanish  words 
and  is  easily  acquired.  Their  arms  were 


OPATA  SETTLEMENTS.  99 

originally  the  bow  and  arrow,  but  since  their 
establishment  at  the  presidios  Bacuachi,  Tu- 
ba c  and  Babispe,  they  have  been  taught  the 
use  of  fire-arrns,  and  are  skillful  marksmen; 
at  present  the  entire  tribe  use  no  weapons 
but  the  gun  and  lance. 

They  are  not  tall,  but  are  of  athletic 
frames;  wary  and  of  unequalled  endurance; 
the  women  are  generally  copper-colored,  but 
some  are  quite  fair,  having  a  mixture  of 
Spanish  blood. 

The  Opatas  are  capable  of  a  high  degree 
of  education,  and  are  just  and  humane  in 
their  dealings.  In  the  revolt  of  1820,  they 
treated  their  prisoners  of  war  with  the  cour- 
tesy and  consideration  usual  among  enlight- 
ened nations,  and  they  put  none  to  death 
without  first  trying  them  before  a  council  of 
war,  and  afterwards  sending  for  Catholic 
priests  to  administer  the  last  sacrament  to 
the  condemned ;  many  of  their  prisoners 
were  released  without  ransom. 

It  is  also  worthy  of  mention,  that  in  all 


100  SONORA. 

the  civil  wars  among  the  whites,  the  Opatas 
have  invariably  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
government,  except  in  one  or  two  instances 
when  they  were  deceived,  arid  believed  that 
they  were  defending  a  just  cause. 


PAPAGOS. 


This  tribe  is  numerous,  and  is  situated  in 
the  western  part  of  the  State  to  the  north 
of  the  river  Gila ;  they  are  from  the  same 
stock  as  the  Pimas  Altos  of  Cavorca,  Oqui- 
toa,  Tubutarna,  etc. 

The  Papagos  have  not  like  the  Pimas  been 
organized  in  pueblos,  but  they  have  gener- 
ally been  obedient  to  the  government,  and 
those  of  the  Gila,  who  are  superior  to  the 
western  tribes,  have  assisted  the  presidios  in 
their  campaigning  against  the  Apaches. 

The  western  Papagos  revolted  in  1840, 
but  were  reduced  in  one  brief  and  decisive 
campaign;  previous  to  this,  they  caused 
great  annoyance  to  the  inhabitants  of  Altar 
by  frequent  robberies  of  horses  and  cattle. 


PAPAGOS.  101 

They  subsist  principally  upon  wild  fruits, 
especially  the  "  pitaya,"  a  fruit  of  exquisite 
flavor.  They  move  from  place  to  place 
where  this  is  abundant,  and  remain  until  it 
is  exhausted ;  they  make  from  it  a  delicious 
syrup,  which  they  take  to  the  settlements  in 
earthen  jars  for  sale. 

In  the  winter  they  resort  to  the  settle- 
ments of  La  Pimeria,  to  dispose  of  the  skins 
of  wild  animals  and  baskets  made  of  the 
twigs  of  a  shrub  called  "Mora."  One  of 
their  articles  of  food  is  a  delicate  species 
of  camote,  called  "Sayas,"  which  is  cul- 
tivated and  highly  appreciated  among  the 
whites. 

The  Papagos  of  the  river  Gila  are  the 
best  and  most  industrious ;  they  have  never 
faltered  in  their  allegiance  to  the  Govern- 
ment, or  taken  part  in  any  revolt.  Their 
habitations  are  fixed  and  permanent,  and 
they  raise  wheat,  corn,  beans,  pulse,  and  len- 
tiles  sufficient  for  their  own  consumption. 
They  also  raise  cotton,  and  manufacture  a 
i* 


102  SONORA. 

stout  cloth,  which,  when  doubled,  serves 
them  for  winter  garments.  They  dwell  in 
small  houses  of  adobe.  Theft  is  rare  among 
them,  and  they  are  faithful  and  hospitable  to 
strangers  who  visit  their  settlements. 

Both  the  Gilas  and  the  Western  Papagos 
repudiate  polygamy ;  and  both  adore  the 
sun,  setting  aside  one  day  of  each  week  as 
a  festival  in  honor  of  their  deity.  Their 
language  differs  but  little  from  that  of  the 
Pimas.  The  Gilas  cultivate  fruit  trees,  and 
possess  orchards,  peach,  pomegranate,  quince 
trees,  etc.  Both  sexes  are  of  lofty  stature, 
of  an  agreeable  appearance,  and  have  a 
profusion  of  hair.  The  rancherias  of  the 
western  tribes  are  supposed  to  be  about 
thirty  in  number ;  this,  however,  cannot  be 
known  with  any  certainty,  on  account  of 
the  migratory  character  of  their  inhabitants. 
Those  of  the  Gilas  are  more  populous, though 
fewer  in  number;  and  there  is  no  doubt  that 
the  Papagos  outnumber  the  Pimas  and  Opa- 
tas  combined.  The  Cocomaripas  are  another 


PAPAGOS. 


103 


numerous  tribe  of  Papagos,  near  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Gila  and  the  Colorado,  border- 
ing upon  the  Yumas,  and  other  wandering 
tribes. 


\  UNIVERSITY  OF 


CHAPTER  XIIL 


MIXES    IX    SOXORA. 


YAEIOUS  works  have  been  written  con- 
cerning the  mines  of  Sonora,  and  most  of 
them  agree  as  to  the  extent,  immense  rich- 
ness, and  the  causes  of  their  decadence. 
None  of  these  writers,  however,  whether  from 
want  of  time  or  reliable  data,  have  treated 
the  subject  with  the  attention  that  it  merits.. 
The  statements  which  follow  may  be  relied 
upon  as  accurate,  being  based  upon  authen- 
tic information  from  the  owners  and  directors 
of  mines,  and  careful  personal  observation. 

We  may  safely  say  that  the  mines  of  So- 
nora  are  almost  unknown  in  the  other  States 
of  the  Republic,  and  even  in  the  metropolis; 
it  is  known,  indeed,  that  such  a  country  as 


MINES   IN    SONORA.  105 

Sonora  exists,  and  that  it  is  rich  in  minerals; 
but  this  knowledge  is  about  as  definite  as 
that  generally  possessed  with  regard  to  Sibe- 
ria and  Southern  Africa — derived  from  the 
vague  accounts  that  we  have  read  of  those 
countries.  This  general  ignorance,  and  con- 
sequent indifference,  together  with  the  lack 
of  the  protection  and  assistance  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, have  caused  a  sad  decay  of  our 
mining  interests,  and  they  now  retain  but  a 
shadow  of  their  former  prosperity. 

Up  to  the  year  1810,  the  silver  mining 
establishments  continued  in  a  flourishing 
condition.  Quicksilver  was  then  supplied 
by  the  respective  Territorial  deputations  to 
the  registered  miners,  upon  a  credit  of  six 
months,  upon  their  personal  security,  at  a 
price  that  never  exceeded  sixty  dollars,  and 
frequently  fell  to  fifty-seven  dollars  per 
quintal. 

"  Gambucinos,"  viz :  those  miners  who, 
without  capital  or  assistance,  worked  either 
in  abandoned  mines  or  in  those  too  poor  to 


106  SONORA. 

tempt  capital,  were  of  great  benefit  to  the 
community ;  since,  being  numerous,  the  ag- 
gregate of  their  labors  amounted  to  a  con- 
siderable sum.  But  when  the  price  of  quick- 
silver rose  to  one  hundred  dollars,  and  finally 
to  one  hundred  and  seventy  dollars  per  quin- 
tal, a  general  decline  of  the  mining  interests 
was  the  result.  The  gambucinos,  among 
others,  were  forced  to  abandon  their  labors, 
and  this  materially  impeded  the  discovery 
of  new  mines.  Many  of  them  turned  their 
attention  to  gold  mining,  which  does  not  re- 
quire so  large  a  consumption  of  quicksilver, 
and  made  important  discoveries  of  this  metal, 
as  we  shall  hereafter  relate. 

The  mines  in  Sonora  have  been  worked 
from  time  immemorial,  as  proved  by  the 
number  of  excavations  discovered  by  the 
first  settlers  after  the  conquest,  and  of  which 
we  have  no  more  authentic  information  than 
that  derived  from  tradition.  On  the  Cerro 
Prieto,  between  the  rancho  de  la  Palura  and 
la  Cara  Pintada,  is  an  old  mine  called  Taras- 


MINES   IN   SONORA.  107 

ca,  that  has  not  been  worked  for  more  than 
one  hundred  years,  and  that  was,  according 
to  tradition,  exceedingly  rich.  In  the  same 
Sierra  are  other  old  mines,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  which  the  vestiges  of  buildings  are 
still  visible ;  and  we  might  cite  hundreds  of 
others  of  the  same  class. 

Among  the  mines  of  San  Jose  de  Gra- 
cia  there  is  one  celebrated  for  its  richness, 
which  was  worked  in  1809-10  by  a  Catalo- 
nian  Spaniard,  named  Juan  Jose  Carurnina. 
When  abandoned  by  the  original  discoverer 
it  was  full  of  water.  Carumina  succeeded 
in  clearing  it  for  two  or  three  hours,  and 
took  out  a  lump  of  ore  weighing  three  ar- 
robas7(75  pounds)  which  yielded  fourteen 
marks  (112  ozs.)  of  pure  silver.  Unfortu- 
nately, at  this  time  he  had  the  misfortune  to 
break  his  baling  apparatus,  and  the  water 
rushed  in  so  rapidly  as  to  refill  the  mine  in 
six  or  seven  hours.  Carumina,  having  ex- 
pended all  of  his  capital  and  contracted  sev- 
eral debts,  was  compelled  to  abandon  the  un- 


108  SONORA. 

dertaking,  and  repaired  to  Chihuahua.  A 
company  afterwards  attempted  to  work  the 
mine  ;  but  after  having  expended  a  consider- 
able sum,  they  abandoned  it  on  account  of 
a  fatal  accident  to  one  of  the  workmen. 

Most  of  these  old  mines,  according  to  tra- 
dition, were  exceedingly  rich.  Some  of  the 
old  inhabitants  of  San  Jose  de  Gracia,  in 
speaking  of  the  mine  of  Carumina,  testify 
that  the  vein  in  many  places  was  of  virgin 
silver,  and  that  in  others  the  ore  yielded  fifty 
per  cent,  of  pure  silver;  also,  that  there 
was  a  stratum  of  red  earth  that  yielded 
great  quantities  of  gold — they  having  fre- 
quently witnessed  the  extraction  of  two  and 
three  hundred  marks  on  one  single  occasion. 
The  depth  of  this  mine  exceeds  one  hun- 
dred varas,  and  those  of  San  Juan  de  Sonora 
are  said  to  be  equally  deep.  It  is  by  no 
means  surprising  that  these  mines  should 
have  been  abandoned  by  their  original  pro- 
prietors, considering  their  limited  knowledge 
of  mineralogy,  and  the  insufficiency  of  their 


MINES   IN 

means  to  enable  them  to  overconWIerious 
obstacles. 

In  the  work  entitled  "Apostolic  Labors  of 
the  Society  of  Jesus,"  published  by  one  of 
the  members  of  that  order,  is  the  following 
statement:  "In  the  year  1769  a  region  of 
virgin  silver  was  discovered  on  the  frontier 
of  the  Apaches,  at  the  place  called  Arizona, 
on  a  mountain  ridge  about  half  a  league  in 
extent.  The  discovery  was  made  by  a  Ya- 
qui  Indian,  who  revealed  it  to  a  trader,  and 
the  latter  made  it  public.  The  news  of  such 
surprising  wealth  attracted  a  multitude  to 
the  spot.  At  a  depth  of  a  few  varas,  masses 
of  pure  silver  were  found,  of  a  globular 
form,  and  of  one  or  two  arrobas  in  weight. 
Several  pieces  were  taken  out  weighing  up- 
wards of  twenty  arrobas ;  and  one  found  by 
a  person  from  Guadalajara  weighed  one 
hundred  and  forty  arrobas.  Many  persons 
amassed  large  sums,  whilst  others  found 
nothing." 

This  discovery  is  mentioned,  not  only  in 


110  SONORA. 

the  work  referred  to,  but  in  "Los  Ocios  Es- 
pannoles,"  and  in  documents  existing  in  the 
archives  of  the  missions  of  Pimeria  Alta. 
Latterly,  in  the  year  1817,  Dionisio  Robles, 
an  inhabitant  of  the  town  of  Rayon,  fitted 
out  an  expedition  of  two  hundred  men,  and 
proceeded  to  Arizona  for  the  purpose  of  ex- 
ploring this  mine.  They  examined  the  spot, 
making  several  excavations;  but  although 
indications  of  virgin  silver  were  plentiful, 
they  found  but  a  few  grains  and  one  small 
lump,  weighing  five  marks — seven  and  one- 
fourth  ounces.  As,  however,  they  remained 
in  that  region  but  eight  days,  when  they  were 
compelled  to  return  on  account  of  the  Apa- 
ches, their  want  of  success  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at ;  and  from  the  previous  statements 
there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  existence  of 
enormous  deposits  of  silver  in  Arizona. 

History  and  tradition  agree  as  to  the  dis- 
covery of  this  mine  and  its  subsequent 
abandonment.  They  both  state  that  in  the 
year  of  the  discovery — 1769 — the  military 


MINES   IN   SONORA.  Ill 

commander  of  the  presidio  of  Altar  seized 
the  larger  masses  of  silver  as  being  the 
property  of  the  crown ;  that  the  parties  in- 
terested protested  against  this,  and  not  ob- 
taining redress,  appealed  to  the  audience 
chamber  of  Guadalajara,  which  referred  the 
matter  to  the  court  of  Madrid.  At  the  end 
of  seven  years  the  king  declared  that  the 
silver  pertained  to  his  royal  patrimony,  and 
that  the  mine  should  be  worked  for  his  ben- 
efit. This  decree,  together  with  the  attacks 
of  the  hostile  Indians,  caused  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  mine,  which  has  continued  to 
the  present  day.  The  members  of  the  ex- 
pedition of  Robles  unanimously  agreed  that 
the  entire  region  was  rich  in  minerals,  and 
that  to  the  east  of  the  scene  of  their  explo- 
rations lay  a  mountain  range  containing  nu- 
merous veins  of  gold  and  silver,  crossing 
each  other  in  all  directions.  Don  Teodoro 
Salazar,  a  man  of  veracity  and  great  practi- 
cal experience  in  mining,  confirms  this  state- 
ment; and  adds  that  the  earth  seems  to 


112  SONORA. 

invite  the  hand  of  man  to  develope  the 
enormous  mineral  wealth  contained  in  its 
bosom. 

In  treating  of  the  mines  of  Sonora,  we 
shall  confine  ourselves  to  the  period  since 
the  year  1776,  at  which  time  the  establish- 
ment of  a  "  commandancia  general "  in  the 
interior  provinces  of  the  western  state 
caused  an  increase  of  population,  and  a  cor- 
responding activity  in  mining  operations. 

The  mineral  region  of  the  city  of  Alamos, 
discovered  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago,  has  been  constantly  worked  up  to 
the  present  time.  Its  numerous  mines,  es- 
pecially "La  Quintera,"  in  the  Aduana,  and 
the  "Europita,"  in  Promontorio,  have  yielded 
such  immense  quantities  of  silver  as  to  in- 
duce Gamboa,  in  his  "  Treatise  on  Mining," 
to  remark  that  the  revenues  from  Alamos 
exceeded  those  from  all  the  rest  of  the 
kingdom.  In  the  year  when  the  scarcity  of 
quicksilver  commenced  to  be  felt,  eighty-four 
mines  were  worked  to  advantage. 


MINES   IN   SONOEA.  113 

From  1790  to  1800,  heavy  remittances  of 
silver  were  made  from  Alamos  to  the  city  of 
Mexico,  under  the  charge  of  Juan  Alvarez, 
the  principal  conductor.  One  of  these  re- 
mittances, in  1799,  according  to  the  personal 
observation  of  the  author,  exceeded  sixteen 
hundred  bars,  and  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  there  were  other  conductors  besides 
Alvarez,  though  the  quantity  transported  by 
them  was  not  so  great,  and  that  other  remit- 
tances were  made  to  Chihuahua  and  Kosa- 
rio.  Large  quantities  of  gold  were  also  re- 
mitted, partly  in  dust  and  partly  in  bars ;  in 
1807,  a  Catalonian,  Pablo  Trilles  by  name, 
remitted  on  his  own  account  1,207  marks  of 
gold,  all  taken  from  the  mine  of  San  Fran- 
cisco ;  this  was  also  witnessed  by  the  author. 

In  1799,  the  first  discovery  of  gold  in  the 
western  part  of  the  State  was  made  at  San 
Ildefonso  de  la  Cieneguilla,  of  which  many 
incorrect  accounts  have  been  published. 
This  discovery  was  accidental  and  occurred 
as  follows : 


114  SONORA. 

A  company  of  soldiers  from  Altar,  on  their 
way  to  chastise  the  Ceris,  having  encamped 
in  that  neighborhood,  one  of  their  number, 
who  was  strolling  about  one  hundred  yards 
from  the  camp,  observed  that  the  bed  of  a 
small  ditch  formed  by  the  rains  was  of  a 
yellowish  color,  and  upon  further  examina- 
tion, he  collected  a  number  of  pieces  of  gold 
from  the  size  of  a  lentile  to  that  of  a  bean. 
He  reported  this  to  the  commander  of  the 
detachment,  who  immediately  ordered  a 
careful  examination  of  the  surrounding 
country;  the  result  being  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  all  parts,  in  greater  or  less  quan- 
tity. 

The  gold  lay  upon  the  surface,  scattered 
about  like  grains  of  corn.  The  gambucinos 
followed  its  direction  to  the  west  to  the  dis- 
tance of  two  or  three  leagues,  where  they 
encountered  a  natural  phenomenon.  The 
beds  of  all  the  ravines,  within  a  circumfer- 
ence of  more  than  four  leagues,  were  cov- 
ered with  particles  of  gold — hundreds  of 


MINES   IN   SONORA.  115 

these  particles  weighing  from  one  to  twenty- 
seven  marks,  and  presenting  the  appearance 
of  having  passed  through  a  furnace.  After 
the  surface  gold  was  exhausted,  shafts  were 
sunk  and  tunnels  run  through  a  vein  of  cal- 
careous stone  in  some  places,  and  in  others 
through  a  stratum  of  red  stone,  both  of 
which  contained  gold,  and  from  which  large 
quantities  were  extracted.  A  certain  Covar- 
rubias  took  out  more  than  $100,000. 

The  mine  continued  to  yield  in  this  man- 
ner for  about  eight  years,  and  after  that 
period,  although  its  production  was  less,  the 
Yaqui  gambucinos  worked  it  to  great  ad- 
vantage. The  mine  was  actively  worked 
until  1803,  when  a  second  mine  was  discov- 
ered, called  San  Francisco,  seven  leagues 
from  the  first  to  the  east  of  Cieneguilla. 

This  was  discovered  October  4th,  1803, 
by  Teodoro  Salazar,  who,  with  four  or  five 
workmen,  was  journeying  to  a  small  range 
of  hills  in  that  neighborhood,  in  search  of  a 
mine  of  which  he  had  received  notices. 


116  SONORA. 

When  within  a  short  distance  of  the  hills,  he 
was  obliged  to  halt  in  a  ravine  for  the  pur- 
pose of  arranging  his  loads,  and  while  the 
servants  were  thus  occupied,  he  took  a  hand- 
ful of  sand  from  the  ground,  and  upon  blow- 
ing it  discovered  particles  of  gold.  He  im- 
mediately encamped,  and  having  in  four  or 
five  days  satisfied  himself  of  the  value  of 
his  discovery,  he  returned  to  the  settlements 
with  his  trains,  their  intention  being  to  con- 
ceal the  fact  from  the  public,  and  to  return 
alone  to  the  spot  with  provisions  and  mining 
implements.  All  their  precautions,  however, 
proved  unavailing ;  they  were  followed  and 
discovered  in  the  act  of  extracting  the  pre- 
cious metal,  and  in  eight  days  the  entire 
population  of  Cieneguilla  and  the  neighbor- 
ing places,  rushed  to  the  spot. 

This  mine  proved  extremely  rich;  the  gold 
being  scattered  about  on  the  surface  in  great 
abundance,  especially  in  the  ravines.  In  the 
ravine  called  San  Miguelena,  the  gold  was 
so  abundant  that  three,  four,  and  even  five 


MINES   IN   SONOEA.  117 

marks  were  often  collected  in  five  minutes, 
the  grains  being  of  the  size  of  a  bean. 

During  the  year,  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
thousand  persons  from  all  parts  of  the  State, 
and  from  Chihuahua,  Durango  and  Sinaloa, 
assembled  at  this  place.  The  mine  was 
worked  with  activity  until  the  year  1810, 
when  certain  arbitrary  proceedings  of  the 
Governor  disgusted  the  miners,  and  induced 
numbers  of  them  to  leave.  Nevertheless, 
for  many  years  the  quantity  of  gold  ex- 
tracted was  respectable,  and  large  lumps 
were  occasionally  discovered ;  one,  found  by 
a  Yaqui,  weighed  one  hundred  ounces,  and 
the  largest  of  which  we  have  accounts 
weighed  twenty-eight  marks. 

Some  of  these  particles  of  gold  were  so 
singular  in  their  form  as  to  merit  particular 
attention.  One  bore  a  strong  resemblance 
to  the  images  of  our  Lady  of  Guadalupe ; 
some  resembled  the  human  body,  or  portions 
thereof;  and  one  thin  plate  was  as  smooth 
and  brilliant  as  if  burnished  by  the  hand  of 


118  SONORA. 

a  goldsmith.  In  portions  of  this  mineral 
region,  nearest  to  the  Sierra,  much  of  the 
gold  was  mixed  with  white  quartz,  which 
gave  birth  to  the  idea,  that  the  gold  had  its 
origin  in  rich  veins  of  quartz  in  the  bosom  of 
the  Sierra ;  and  this  opinion  was  afterwards 
verified  by  the  discovery  of  a  famous  mine 
in  the  heart  of  the  mountains.  The  first 
discoverers  were  some  Yaqui  Indians,  who 
labored  secretly  for  several  months ;  it  then 
passed  to  a  gambucino  woman  called  La  Ju, 
and  being  abandoned  by  her,  was  worked  by 
Don  Teodoro  Salazar. 

It  is  not  known  how  much  gold  was  taken 
out  of  this  mine  by  the  Yaquis,  but  they 
were  observed  by  the  traders  to  have  large 
quantities  in  their  possession.  Salazar  de- 
nounced the  mine,  established  proper  works, 
and  after  laboring  some  time  without  remun- 
eration, struck  a  pocket  of  gold  which  paid 
all  of  his  expenses  and  left  him  a  large  sur- 
plus. His  custom  was  to  send  up  in  sacks 
from  the  bottom  of  the  mine  to  the  surface, 


MINES    IN    SONORA.  119 

the  virgin  gold,  quartz,  and  earth  supposed 
to  contain  gold,  all  mixed  together,  whence 
it  was  conveyed  to  his  house.  Thus  no  other 
person  could  form  even  an  approximate  es- 
timate of  the  yield  of  the  mine,  though  it 
was  known  to  be  very  rich;  and  although  it 
is  now  abandoned  and  full  of  water,  it  would 
richly  repay  any  person  who  would  reclaim 
it.  There  is  another  gold  mine  one  league 
from  San  Francisco,  not  so  rich  as  the  former, 
but  yielding  much  gold  twenty-two  and 
twenty-three  carats  fine. 

Also  to  the  south,  in  the  Sierra,  veins  of 
gold  were  found,  which  were  worked  by  per- 
sons who  had  their  establishments  in  the 
creek  of  San  Bias;  but  in  a  few  months  the 
waters  of  the  creek  failed  and  put  a  stop  to 
the  operations.  From  the  personal  observa- 
tion of  the  author,  and  information  derived 
from  persons  well  acquainted  with  the  facts, 
it  may  safely  be  said  that  the  average  an- 
nual yield  of  the  mine  of  San  Francisco,  in 
the  time  of  its  prosperity,  was  from  four  to 


120  SONORA. 

five  millions  of  dollars.  Quitovac,  San  An- 
tonio, Sonoita,  El  Zone,  La  Basura,  San 
Perfecto,  Las  Palomas,  El  Alamo,  El  Muerto 
and  Yado  Seco,  are  gold  mines  discovered 
from  1834  to  1844,  of  which  we  will  speak 
more  fully  hereafter. 

Among  the  old  mines,  we  may  mention 
those  of  Cajon,  six  leagues  from  San  Fran- 
cisco and  twelve  from  Cieneguilla,  most  of 
them  of  gold;  and  those  of  the  hacienda  of 
Santa  Rosa,  near  Cajon,  which  yielded  great 
quantities  of  silver  in  1798,  1799,  1800  and 
1802.  Don  Jacinto  del  Pino,  who  worked 
one  of  these  mines,  presented  the  author, 
when  a  child  newly  baptised,  with  four  arro- 
bas  of  selected  ore,  which  yielded  sixty  two 
marks  of  pure  silver.  The  average  of  the 
proportion  of  the  best  ores  was  six,  eight 
and  twelve  marks  to  the  arroba,  and  of  the 
poorer,  two  to  four  marks. 

There  was  a  scarcity  of  ore  in  the  Santa 
Rosa  mines  on  account  of  the  narrowness  of 
the  veins,  and  some  of  them  were  so  hard 


MINES   IN   SONORA.  121 

that  much  powder  was  required  for  working 
them. 

All  parts  of  this  mountain  are  impreg- 
nated with  veins,  which  cross  each  other  in 
every  direction ;  and  in  fact,  we  may  safely 
say  that  the  entire  Sierra  is  one  vast  bed  of 
precious  minerals. 

It  is  rarely  the  case  in  these  regions  that 
nature  is  so  prodigal  in  her  favors  as  to  con- 
fer, at  once,  the  precious  metals  and  that 
which  is  necessary  for  extracting  them; 
thus,,  in  the  mines  of  San  Francisco  so  rich 
in  gold,  water  is  extremely  scarce,  being 
brought  from  the  river  Arituava,  seven 
leagues  distant,  and  sold  at  three  or  four 
reals  per  barrel,  and  in  the  dry  season  at 
one  dollar.  There  being  no  timber  fit  for 
building,  the  houses  are  framed  of  a  green 
wood,  which  is  very  frail,  and  the  walls  are 
of  upright  poles  filled  in  with  clay.  If  the 
waters  of  the  river  were  conducted  to  the 
placer,  or  if  artesian  wells  were  sunk  and 
reservoirs  formed,  so  as  to  wash  the  im- 
K 


122  SONORA. 

mense  deposits  of  earth  that  contain  the 
fine  gold,  it  is  probable  that  the  yield  would 
equal,  if  not  exceed,  that  of  former  times. 
During  the  rains,  which  are  generally  of 
brief  duration  in  these  regions,  lagoons  or 
ponds  are  formed ;  but  as  the  soil  is  sandy, 
these  last  but  a  few  days.  The  gold  mines 
near  San  Antonio  de  la  Huerta  were  par- 
ticularly favored,  being  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  the  Rio  Grande.  These 
mines  are  said  to  have  been  rich,  and  the 
gold  was  found  in  coarse  grains ;  the  largest 
ever  found  weighed  forty  marks. 

The  gold  mines  of  the  presidio  of  Bacua- 
chi  are  celebrated  in  the  State,  as  well  as 
those  at  the  copper  mines  of  Cananea.  The 
gold  is  coarse,  and  pieces  have  been  found 
weighing  twenty-five  marks.  These  mines 
might  be  made  to  yield  abundantly,  but 
those  who  work  them  are  in  constant  danger 
of  being  cut  off  by  the  savages. 

The  mines  of  Jotahiqui,  in  the  northern 
part  of  Pimeria  Alta,  are  doubtless  as  rich 


MINES   IN   SONORA.  123 

as  those  of  Cieneguilla  and  San  Francisco ; 
these  were  discovered  in  1818,  and  had 
been  worked  but  a  few  days,  when  the 
Apaches  murdered  the  proprietor  and  sev- 
eral of  the  workmen;  for  which  reason  the 
place  was  abandoned. 

The  mines  of  Vado  Seco,  to  the  north  of 
the  pueblo  of  San  Ignacio,  on  the  road  to 
Tucson,  were  abandoned  for  the  same  cause, 
after  having  been  worked  but  a  short  time. 

In  the  last  century  was  discovered  the 
famous  placer  Sobia,  ont  he  main  road  to 
the  city  of  Alamos,  half  way  between  that 
place  and  Varoycea.  This  mining  settle- 
ment is  now  reduced  to  a  single  rancho, 
although  mines  of  gold  were  discovered 
after  the  surface  deposits  were  exhausted. 

The  placers  and  mines  of  gold  at  Aigame, 
eighteen  leagues  to  the  south  of  Hermosillo, 
yielded  extraordinary  quantities  of  the  pre- 
cious metal.  The  "  Prietas,"  "  Verdes,"  and 
others  of  the  richest  mines  were  abandoned 
as  soon  as  they  commenced  to  fill  with 


124  SONORA. 

water.  The  gambucinos  remained  for  some 
time  afterwards/  working  the  abandoned 
mines  and  causing  great  damage  to  them, 
as  their  labors  were  conducted  without  reg- 
ularity or  proper  precautions. 

In  the  mineral  regon  of  Mulatos,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  State,  at  the  entrance  of 
the  Sierra  and  seventy  leagues  from  Hermo- 
sillo,  two  gold  mines  were  found,  from  which 
were  taken  several  thousand  marks  of  metal, 
of  twenty-four  carats  fine. 

Besides  the  mines  above  mentioned,  which 
are  now  abandoned,  others  have  been  dis- 
covered, some  of  which  are  at  present  occa- 
sionally worked. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

'  ALIFORNIA. 

- 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

MINES    THAT    ARE    WORKED    AT    THE    PRESENT    DAY. 


THE  mineral  region  of  San  Javier,  thirty- 
five  leagues  east  of  Hermosillo,  and  in  the 
neighborhood  of  San  Antonio  de  la  Huerta, 
was  celebrated  in  the  middle  of  the  last 
century  for  its  numerous  silver  mines,  the 
most  noted  of  them  being  Naguila,  Las  Ani- 
mas,  Los  Afuerenos  and  La  Grande ;  these 
yielded  abundantly,  as  shown  by  the  enor- 
mous quantities  of  silver  remitted  to  the 
city  of  Mexico. 

La  Naguila  is  situated  on  the  highest  hill 
in  this  region,  in  sight  of  the  main  road ; 
its  ores  were  formerly  abundant,  and  their 
"  ley"  (proportion  of  silver)  ten  marks  to  the 
"  carga ; "  it  however  filled  with  water,  and 

K* 


126  SONORA. 

although  an  attempt  was  made  to  work  it, 
it  was  abandoned  upon  encountering  a  cer- 
tain kind  of  rock  called  "  caballo." 

Las  Animas  is  also  one  of  the  old  mines, 
and  is  now  choked  with  earth ;  the  "  ley " 
of  its  ores  was  four  or  five  marks  to  four 
arrobas ;  its  vein  is  narrow  but  contains  an 
abundance  of  ferruginous  ore,  which,  though 
rejected  by  the  miners  in  former  times, 
yields  three  to  four  marks  of  silver  to  the 
"carga."  The  ores  "  de  azogue  "  (reducible 
by  quicksilver)  are  also  abundant,  and  of 
about  the  same  "  ley." 

In  Los  Afuernos  the  vein  is  half  a  vara 
in  breadth,  and  was  profitably  worked  by  a 
certain  Castillo.  The  mines  of  La  Grande 
were  equally  rich  with  the  others,  and  a 
person  named  Esquer  has  undertaken  the 
task  of  reopening  them. 

At  San  Javier  was  established  the  second 
territorial  mining  deputation ;  and  there  was 
distributed  quicksilver  to  all  the  matricula- 
ted miners  of  the  province  of  Upper  Sonora. 


MINES   THAT  AKE   WOKKED.  127 

The  mines  of  this  settlement  are  worked 
at  the  present  day,  but  not  with  activity,  as 
they  are  principally  in  the  hands  of  the 
gambucinos,  who  labor  without  method  or 
assistance  \  nevertheless,  the  annual  yield  of 
silver  is  considerable,  most  of  it  being  "  de 
fuego  "  (reducible  by  fire).  In  every  direc- 
tion may  be  observed  veins  of  metal  unex- 
plored, with  the  exception  of  a  few  super- 
ficial excavations. 

The  mine  of  Subiate,  eleven  leagues  to 
the  south  of  Hermosillo,  was  discovered  in 
the  year  1813.  Its  first  owners  not  being 
able  to  pay  their  expenses,  sold  it  to  two 
persons  called  Monge  and  Munoz,  who,  by 
increasing  the  number  of  workmen  and  car- 
rying on  their  operations  in  accordance  with 
the  mining  regulations,  derived  a  handsome 
profit  from  a  mine  hitherto  worthless.  Mu- 
noz, having  acquired  sufficient  wealth,  sold 
his  interest  to  Francisco  Montevideo,  who 
continued  the  operations  in  company  with 
Monge  until  the  death  of  the  latter,  who 


128  SONORA. 

left  a  large  fortune ;  Montevideo  then  be- 
came sole  owner  of  the  mine  and  has  worked 
it  up  to  the  present  time.  Its  average  "  ley" 
does  not  exceed  five  to  six  marks  to  three 
"cargas,"  but  occasionally  ores  are  found 
which  yield  two  to  three  marks  to  the  "  arro- 
ba"  (twenty-five  pounds).  At  present,  the 
water  flows  into  it,  to  the  serious  prejudice 
of  the  owner,  whose  sole  profits,  for  some 
time  past,  have  been  derived  from  furnish- 
ing supplies  to  his  workmen. 

The  mining  region  of  Varoyeca  was  dis- 
covered in  1792.  Its  first  mine,  four  leagues 
to  the  south  on  the  road  to  Alamos,  yielded 
almost  fabulous  quantities  of  silver,  and  was 
first  worked  for  some  years  by  the  padre 
Yaldes.  The  fame  of  its  wealth  attracted 
a  large  number  of  persons  from  other  parts 
of  Sonora  and  from  abroad,  and  many  traders 
amassed  large  fortunes  by  supplying  this 
multitude  with  provisions.  The  padre  above 
mentioned  is  said  to  have  possessed  so  chari- 
table and  benevolent  a  disposition,  that  he 


MINES   THAT  ARE  WORKED.  129 

gave  to  all  comers  an  opportunity  of  work- 
ing in  the  mine,  so  that  while  the  yield  was 
abundant,  there  was  scarcely  a  poor  person 
to  be  found  in  Varoyeca.  The  fame  of  this 
worthy  ecclesiastic  has  been  handed  down 
to  the  present  generation,  and  a  testimonial 
of  the  affectionate  regard  entertained  for 
him  still  exists  in  the  shape  of  a  number  of 
sacred  articles  of  pure  silver  presented  to 
the  parish  church;  their  value  being  not  less 
than  $30,000. 

This  mine,  after  passing  through  various 
hands,  and  suffering  from  the  attacks  of  the 
gambucinos,  is  now  worked  by  Don  Salva- 
dor, who,  at  an  expense  of  some  thousands 
of  dollars,  has  cleared  the  works  that  were 
choked  with  earth  and  is  now  extracting 
good  ores. 

All  the  hills  that  environ  Yaroyeca  are  of 
mineral  formation ;  and  the  fact  of  their  not 
being  explored  at  present,  is  owing  to  the 
high  price  of  quicksilver  and  the  scarcity 
of  laborers. 


130  SONOKA. 

The  mining  region  of  the  city  of  Alamos, 
which  comprises  the  Promontorio,  three 
leagues,  and  the  Aduana,  one  league,  to  the 
west,  and  the  face  of  the  small  mountain 
range  on  the  south,  contains  eight  leagues 
of  pure  mines,  most  of  them  on  the  slopes 
and  in  the  gorges  of  the  said  sierra.  In 
every  direction  are  seen  old  and  new  mines, 
so  that  it  may  be  said,  without  exaggera- 
tion, that  there  is  not  a  hand's  breadth  of 
the  soil  which  does  not  contain  some  vein  of 
precious  metal. 

Among  the  richest  and  most  ancient 
mines,  that  of  Quintera  holds  the  first  posi- 
tion, several  millions  having  been  taken  from 
it  since  its  discovery,  one  hundred  years  ago. 
It  is  of  immense  depth — vulgar  rumor  states 
it  at  two  miles.  It  has  been  abandoned  by 
its  owners,  and  is  now  worked  by  gambu- 
cinos. 

The  mine  called  Balvaneda,  situated  in 
Promontorio,  belongs  to  Jose  Maria  Almada. 
It  Was  formerly  very  rich,  and  now  yields 


MINES   THAT  ARE  WORKED.  131 

handsomely,  though  the  water  flowing  into 
it  causes  trouble  and  expense. 

La  Europita,  also  in  Promontorio,  is  now 
worked  by  Don  Manuel  Salido. 

La  Cotera,  in  the  Aduana,  is  now  worked 
by  Don  Bartolo  Almada. 

Santo  Domingo,  also  in  the  Aduana,  is 
worked  by  Don  Ignacio  and  Don  Saturnino 
Almadas.  The  mine  of  Nacacheran,  in  the 
same,  is  worked  by  Don  Pedro  Perron ;  La 
Libertad,  by  Don  Manuel  de  la  Brena. 

That  of  Minas  Nuevas  is  worked  by  Don 
Pedro  Garces  and  the  legatee  of  the  late 
Don  Jose  Maria  Moreno.  This  mine  was 
discovered  in  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century,  and  is  situated  two  leagues  to  the 
west  of  Alamos. 

There  are  many  other  mines  in  this  re- 
gion that  are  abandoned  on  account  of  the 
high  price  of  quicksilver ;  nevertheless,  its 
yield  of  silver  is  greater  than  that  of  any 
other  mining  region  in  the  State,  and  all  the 
capitalists  in  the  city  of  Alamos  are  indebted 


132  SONORA. 

to  the  mines  for  their  fortunes.  There  are 
also  many  old  mines  of  whose  origin  we 
know  nothing,  except  from  tradition.  Of 
these,  we  will  only  mention  Piedras  Verdes, 
five  leagues  to  the  north  of  Alamos ;  Nar- 
vares,  in  the  Promontorio,  which  is  full  of 
water;  Calesa,  in  the  Aduana,  and  "Los 
Cangrejos." 

There  are  three  large  haciendas  for  the 
reduction  of  metals  in  the  city  of  Alamos, 
called  "La  Aurora,"  "La  Ubalama,"  and 
"Las  Cabras;"  five  in  the  Aduana;  one  in 
Talajiosa ;  that  of  Larragoitias ;  that  of  Los 
Espinosas,  and  the  old  hacienda  of  Promon- 
torio.  There  are  also  two  in  Minas  Nuevas, 
making  eleven  in  all. 

Babicanora,  discovered  at  the  end  of  the 
last  century,  eight  leagues  to  the  east  of 
Arispe,  and  four  from  Sonoquipe,  in  the 
sierra  running  north  and  south,  was  very 
rich  when  worked  by  the  intendente,  Don 
Alejo  Garcia  Conde,  who  also  established  a 
hacienda  for  the  reduction  of  ores  below 


MINES   THAT 


Sonoquipe,  one  mile  from  the  bank  of  the 
river.     Being  abandaned  by  Garcia  Conde, 
it  was  denounced  by  Don  Salvador  Moreno, 
who  discovered  a  vein  of  surpassing  rich- 
ness.    At  his  death  it  was  abandoned,  and  | 
is  now  worked  by  a  few  gambucinos,  at  the 
risk  of  their  lives ;  this  point  being  particu-  ; 
larly  exposed  to  the  Apaches. 

The  mine  of  Tajo,  in  the  jurisdiction  of 
Cucurpe,  is  of  great  antiquity,  and  its  first 
possessor  is  unknown.  Being  now  full  of 
water,  and  in  a  ruinous  condition,  no  one 
dares  to  Attempt  its  exploration,  although 
every  one  is  convinced  of  the  richness  of 
its  ores.  It  is  worked  at  present  by  two  or 
three  persons,  on  a  very  small  scale. 

La  Alameda;  this  mineral  region,  situ- 
ated seven  leagues  to  the  west  of  the  pue- 
blo of  Nacameri,  was  discovered  in  1835. 
Its  mines  are  all  of  silver,  of  different  de- 
grees of  richness,  the  ley  of  the  best  being 
seven  marks  to  the  "  bulto,"  (nine  hundred 
pounds)  and  of  the  poorest,  three.  It  has 


134  SONORA. 

• 

been  almost  deserted  on  account  of  the 
Apaches;  two  mines  only  being  worked  by 
gambucinos,  who  are  in  constant  fear  of  los- 
ing their  lives. 

Batuco,  contains  both  gold  and  silver 
mines  and  "placers."  These  are  seldom 
worked,  on  account  of  the  Apaches. 

Rio  Chico,  in  the  south-western  part  of 
the  State,  forty  leagues  from  Hermosillo, 
and  near  the  Rio  Grande,  is  one  of  the  most 
ancient  mineral  regions  of  Sonora;  and  in 
the  last  century  produced  great  quantities 
of  silver  and  gold,  there  being  both  mines 
and  placers  of  the  latter.  At  present  the 
gambucinos  are  working  a  few  of  the  mines, 
without  order  or  method. 

El  Aguaje  is  a  mineral  region  of  the  last 
century.  Its  most  interesting  silver  mines 
are  Guillamena,  Ubarbol,  and  La  Grande. 
One  of  them  is  now  worked  by  Juan  Jose 
Buelna;  the  others  are  abandoned,  except 
by  the  gambucinos. 

Minas  Prietas,  belonging  to  Aigame,  are 


MINES  THAT  AEE  WORKED.  135 

worked  by  two  or  three  persons,  at  a  great 
disadvantage,  on  account  of  the  want  of  suf- 
ficient means.     There  is  no  doubt  that  they  \ 
would  yield  largely,  if  sufficient  capital  were 
brought  to  bear  upon  them. 

Suaque  contains  many  mines  of  gold 
and  silver,  which,  to  this  day,  have  been 
worked  with  little  activity,  by  persons  of 
small  means.  Notwithstanding  this,  it  has 
at  times  yielded  largely.  At  present,  but 
two  mines  are  worked,  on  a  small  scale. 

Saguaripa,  a  Pima  puebla,  contains  nu- 
merous mines,  most  of  which  are  desert- 
ed. There  are  two  in  operation,  which 
yield  but  little  more  than  their  expenses, 
their  owners  not  possessing  a  sufficiency  of 
capital. 

La  Trinidad  is  one  of  the  oldest  mineral 
regions  in  the  State,  at  the  base  of  the 
Sierra  Madre.  Its  entire  area  is  composed 
of  mines,  most  of  which  have  never  been 
worked.  There  is  at  present  but  one  in 
operation,  and  its  labors  are  carried  on  with 


136  SONORA. 

but  little  activity,  on  account  of  the  scarcity 
of  funds. 

Six  leagues  to  the  north  of  the  road  to 
the  town  of  Cavorca  others  are  worked  by 
the  gambucinos,  according  to  their  method, 
or  rather,  their  lack  of  method.  They  at- 
tack the  pillars  or  supports  of  the  mines, 
thereby  causing  their  total  ruin. 

San  Ildefonso  de  la  Cieneguilla ;  scarcely 
any  region  equals  this  in  its  number  of  veins 
of  gold  and  silver.  Its  first  mine,  called 
"  Descubridora,"  discovered  four  years  after 
the  first  placers,  yielded  abundant  quantities 
of  silver  ores — the  "ley"  of  the  poorest  be- 
ing five  to  seven,  and  of  the  best,  twelve 
and  fifteen  marks  to  the  "  bulto "  of  three 
"cargas"  (nine  hundred  pounds). 

Its  owner,  Don  Antonio  Enrique  de  Castro, 
by  an  approximate  calculation,  received  from 
it  in  less  than  four  years,  $2,000,000,  and 
as  much  more  was  distributed  among  the 
brokers  and  traders,  who  purchased  the 
small  pieces  of  silver  which  were  weekly 


MINES   THAT  ARE   WORKED.  137 

paid  to  the  workmen.  Fifty  small  estab- 
lishments, for  crushing  ores,  were  in  con- 
stant operation,  and  their  proprietors  real- 
ized large  profits.  Castro  erected  a  large 
establishment  for  the  reduction  of  ores,  be- 
ing the  only  one  in  Sonora  that  was  worked  by 
mule  or  horse  power ;  and  every  fifteen  days 
he  extracted  four  or  five  hundred  marks,  be- 
sides the  "  plata  de  fuego  "  from  the  jars  (va- 
sos).  This  state  of  things  continued  for  five 
years,  when  they  reached  a  spot  where  the 
vein  was  crossed  by  a  rock,  called  by  miners 
"  caballo,"  and  it  was  nearly  a  year  before 
this  obstruction  was  removed.  A  short  time 
afterwards,  the  director  of  the  mine,  a  per- 
son of  great  intelligence  and  experience, 
died,  and  the  vein  being  crossed  by  another 
similar  rock,  all  efforts  to  trace  its  course 
proved  fruitless.  The  owner  having  during 
this  delay  expended  the  greater  part  of 
what  he  had  received  from  the  mine,  in  at- 
tempting to  remove  the  obstacles  above  men- 
tioned, became  discouraged  and  obtained 


138  SONORA. 

permission  to  remove  the  pillars.  These 
yielded  nearly  half  a  million,  but  although 
the  mine  was  secured  by  supports  of  strong 
and  imperishable  timber,  and  in  some  places 
with  stone  and  mortar,  the  gambucinos,  in  a 
few  years,  left  it  completely  in  ruins. 

Many  other  mines  were  discovered  in  the 
neighborhood  of  this,  but  none  so  rich  or 
abundant  in  ores.  Only  one  exceeded  it  in 
the  quantity  of  its  ores,  viz :  the  Cerro  Col- 
orado, six  leagues  to  the  east  of  Cieneguilla, 
on  the  right  of  the  road  to  the  placers  of 
San  Francisco,  which  also  belonged  to  Cas- 
tro. Its  vein  was  so  wide  and  soft,  that  one 
man  with  a  pick  (barretero)  could  excavate 
about  one  hundred  "  cargas "  daily,  but  its 
"ley"  did  not  exceed  five  to  seven  ounces 
to  three  "  cargas,"  so  that  it  was  not  consid- 
ered profitable  to  work. 

Castro  also  worked  other  mines,  some  of 
which  were  profitable,  and  others  not.  The 
one  most  celebrated  for  its  richness,  although 
this  lasted  but  for  a  short  lime,  was  San  Ati- 


MINES   THAT  ARE  WORKED.  139 

lano,  where,  in  the  vein  of  silver,  were  fre- 
quently found  small  pockets  containing  con- 
siderable quantities  of  coarse  gold — conse- 
quently its  ores  contained  a  proportion  of 
gold.  This  mine  was  worked  for  three  or 
four  years  and  then  abandoned,  as  was  also 
that  of  San  Teodoro,  which  was  at  first  ex- 
ceedingly rich;  some  of  its  ores,  of  a  yellow- 
ish color,  yielding  nearly  fifty  per  cent,  of 
pure  silver. 

Castro  abandoned  his  operations,  which 
for  many  years  sustained  the  mining  inter- 
ests of  that  region,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Teodoro  Salazar,  who  still  continues  to  work 
these  mines  at  intervals,  hut  without  suffi- 
cient activity  to  excite  a  spirit  of  enterprise 
in  others,  contenting  himself  with  very  mod- 
erate profits.  A  few  poor  persons  also  labor 
in  some  of  the  abandoned  mines,  hiring  two 
or  three  workmen  when  they  can  afford  it. 

The  placers  of  gold  support  a  few  Yaqui 
gambucinos,  who  gain  generally  from  six  to 
eight  reals  per  day ;  sometimes  not  more  than 


140  SONORA. 

three  or  four.  They  occasionally  discover 
rich  spots,  which  are  soon  exhausted  by  the 
multitude  of  gambucinos  that  rushes  to  them. 
The  distance  from  the  old  placers  one  and  a 
half  leagues  west  of  Cieneguilla,  to  the  Gulf 
of  California,  is  twenty-five  leagues,  and  all 
of  the  intermediate  country  is  impregnated 
with  gold ;  the  time  will  doubtless  arrive 
when  this  spacious  region  will  yield  count- 
less riches. 

La  Basura :  this  is  the  first  mining  region 
of  gold  and  silver  discovered  in  the  country 
of  the  Papagos,  (in  1835)  and  is  situated 
eight  leagues  to  the  north  of  Cavorca.  Its 
mines  are  numerous,  especially  those  of  gold ; 
but  although  these  are  of  marvelous  rich- 
ness, this  lasts  but  a  short  time,  as  the  de- 
posits extend  but  a  short  distance  below  the 
surface.  This  region,  which  formerly  con- 
tained a  population  of  two  or  three  thousand 
souls,  is  now  almost  abandoned,  owing  to  the 
emigration  of  its  inhabitants  to  other  places 
supposed  to  be  more  abundant  in  gold. 


MINES   THAT  ARE  WORKED.  141 

San  Perfecto  was  the  second  discovery 
made  in  the  Papago  country;  it  is  now 
nearly  deserted. 

Quitovac  was  the  third  discovery  made  in 
the  western  part  of  the  Papago  country,  fifty 
leagues  from  Cavorca  and  from  the  town  of 
Guadalupe.  The  placers  were  first  worked, 
they  being  very  abundant  in  gold,  which  lay 
in  grains  on  the  surface  as  at  San  Francisco 
and  Cieneguilla.  Afterwards  many  mines 
were  opened  to  the  depth  of  ten  or  fifteen 
varas,  some  of  which  yielded  from  four  to 
eight  ounces  of  gold  to  the  bowl,  (batea) 
and  others  not  more  than  three  cents.  The 
largest  lump  of  pure  gold  taken  out  weighed 
twenty-one  marks,  but  a  piece  of  gold-bear- 
ing quartz — nearly  all  gold — was  found,  that 
weighed  more  than  thirty  marks. 

San  Antonio,  another  placer,  three  leagues 
to  the  west  of  Quitovac,  was  discovered  a 
few  days  after  the  latter,  and  was  exceed- 
ingly rich  at  the  surface.  The  discovery  of 
these  placers  was  owing  to  Father  Faustino 


142  SONOEA. 

Gonzales,  who  prevailed  upon  the  Papago 
Indians  to  reveal  their  locality,  these  tribes 
having  previously  imagined  that  they  would 
be  put  to  death  if  the  existence  of  their 
treasures  were  known.  Their  scruples  hav- 
ing been  overcome,  they  conducted  Don 
Dionisio  Gonzales  and  some  others  to  the 
spot,  and  in  a  short  time  the  whites  and  In- 
dians, in  great  numbers,  were  working  ami- 
cably together;  as  in  the  outset  there  were 
no  scales  to  weigh  the  gold,  certain  persons 
took  advantage  of  the  simplicity  of  the  In- 
dians and  exchanged  silver  and  copper 
money  for  its  bulk  in  gold.  Women  also 
made  fortunes  by  selling  the  miserable  bread 
that  they  made;  a  lady  of  one  of  the  best 
families  is  said  to  have  obtained  eight  ounces 
for  four  or  five  dozen  tortillas.  Gonzales 
made  a  large  fortune ;  so  did  a  number  of 
others,  who,  however,  soon  squandered  their 
wealth.  The  placer  continued  rich  for  sev- 
eral years,  and  was  worked  until  1841,  when 
the  Papagos  rose  and  expelled  the  whites. 


MINES   THAT  ARE  WORKED.  143 

After  quiet  was  restored,  a  few  persons  re- 
turned to  Quitovac  and  worked  some  mines 
discovered  after  the  placers,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  an  abundant  spring,  capable  of 
supplying  a  population  of  thirty  to  forty 
thousand. 

Sonoita  is  a  valley  in  which  are  situated 
the  most  western  settlements  of  the  Papa- 
gos ;  it  is  twelve  leagues  from  Quitovac,  on 
the  road  to  Upper  California.  None  but 
gambucinos  and  a  few  traders  frequented  it, 
on  account  of  its  exposure  to  the  hostile 
tribes.  The  gold  was  very  fine  and  light, 
so  that  an  ounce  in  weight  was  nearly  dou- 
ble the  bulk  of  the  gold  from  other  places. 

Alamo  Muerto  is  sixteen  leagues  west  of 
Cavorca,  and  contains  gold  and  silver  mines 
and  placers ;  it  was  discovered  in  the  same 
year  as  Quitovac.  and  although  its  ores  yield 
a  fair  proportion  of  silver,  the  scarcity  of 
quicksilver  has  prevented  their  being  work- 
ed to  any  great  extent.  There  were,  how- 
ever, ten  mines  in  operation  at  the  time  of 


144  SONORA. 

the  rising  of  the  Papagos,  all  of  which  were 
abandoned.  The  placers  of  gold  were  of 
little  consideration. 

Las  Palomas,  two  leagues  to  the  south  of 
Alamo  Muerto,  were  rich  placers  of  gold 
similar  to  those  of  Quito  vac;  several  business 
houses  and  many  stores  for  the  sale  of  pro- 
visions were  located  there.  It  was  aban- 
doned on  account  of  the  Papagos,  and  is 
now  frequented  merely  by  a  few  Indian 
gambucinos,  who  are  satisfied  with  enough 
to  provide  them  with  food. 

El  Zone  was  discovered  in  1844,  and  is 
as  yet  but  little  known.  It  contains  numer- 
ous gold  mines — some  of  them  quite  rich  at 
the  surface ;  from  one  of  them  was  taken  a 
mass  of  quartz  of  twenty-five  pounds  weight, 
yielding  fifty  per  cent,  of  pure  gold. 

It  would  require  a  volume  of  formidable 
dimensions  to  describe  all  the  mines  of  So- 
nora,  or  even  those  which  have  come  under 
the  personal  observation  of  the  author.  It 
will  be  sufficient  to  state  that  from  the  "  rio 


MINES   THAT  ARE  WORKED.  145 

del  Fuerte,"  which  divides  Sonora  from  Sin- 
aloa  to  the  river  Gila  on  the  north,  and  from 
the  Colorado  on  the  north-west  to  the  Sierra 
Madre  on  the  east,  there  is  not  a  settlement 
or  rancho  which  does  not  contain  a  vein  of 
gold,  silver,  lead  or  copper-  and  placers,  al- 
though not  so  general  in  the  interior,  abound 
all  along  the  northern  and  western  frontiers. 
M 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MINES     OF    IRON,    LEAD,    COPPER    AND     QUICKSILVER. 


BETWEEN  the  presidios  of  Tucson  and  Tu- 
bac,  there  is  a  range  of  mountains  called 
Madera,  and  the  puerto  de  los  Muchachos, 
scattered  about  the  base  of  which  are  enor- 
mous masses  of  pure  iron ;  some  of  these 
were  transported  to  Tucson,  and  for  many 
years  were  to  be  seen  in  the  plaza  of  that 
presidio.  Old  soldiers  relate  that  in  their 
numerous  campaigns  against  the  Indians, 
they  found  in  Mogollon,  a  range  of  moun- 
tains in  the  Apache  country,  many  iron 
mines,  and  masses  of  this  metal  on  the  sur- 
face; also  lead  and  copper.  They  made 
similar  statements  in  relation  to  the  moun- 
tains on  the  frontier  of  the  country  of  the 
Papagos,  and  the  tribes  of  the  Colorado. 


MINES    OF    IRON,    LEAD,    ETC.  147 

In  1801,  when  Father  Faustino  Gonzales 
(a  man  of  benevolent  disposition  and  spot- 
less character)  was  missionary  to  Cavorca, 
an  Indian  of  the  tribe  called  Tadchidume, 
to  the  north  of  the  Colorado,  presented  him 
with  a  jar  of  pure  quicksilver,  assuring  him 
"that  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  in  his  country ,  there 
was  a  small  lake  of  this  heavy  ivater"  being  en- 
tirely ignorant  of  the  name  and  qualities  of 
this  production  of  nature.  His  extreme 
simplicity,  and  the  lack  of  a  competent  inter- 
preter, prevented  Gonzales  from  obtaining 
more  explicit  information. 

The  padre  had  relations  with  Don  Jose 
Velasco,  an  influential  inhabitant  of  Ciene- 
guilla,  and  notified  him  by  letter  of  this  im- 
portant information;  but  as  at  that  time  all 
branches  of  business  were  much  depressed, 
and  quicksilver  abundant  and  cheap,  no 
further  attention  was  paid  to  the  matter. 

According  to  tradition,  a  quicksilver  mine 
exists  in  the  mineral  region  of  Rio  Chico. 

Don  Ignacio  Araiza,  of  Hermosillo,  who 


148  SONORA. 

devoted  his  life  and  entire  fortune  to  mining 
— dying  deeply  in  debt — made  an  examina- 
tion of  some  stones  from  the  hill  called  San- 
ta Teresa,  and  ascertained  that  they  con- 
tained quicksilver ;  but  as  at  that  time  the 
price  of  that  metal  was  low,  the  art  of  ex- 
tracting it  entirely  unknown  in  the  State, 
and  the  vein  of  metal  very  narrow,  this  dis- 
covery excited  little  or  no  interest. 

There  are  several  copper  mines  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  State,  and  many  more  on  the 
frontier ;  of  these  we  will  mention  a  few. 

La  Cananea  is  a  mountain  range,  forty 
leagues  to  the  north  of  Arispe ;  all  of  this 
region  abounds  in  copper  ores,  and  in  many 
places  contains  virgin  copper.  These  mines 
were  actively  worked  in  the  last  century  by 
the  House  of  Guea,  of  Chihuahua,  who  took 
out  thousands  of  quintals  of  copper  ore, 
much  of  which  contained  a  proportion  of 
gold.  When  the  House  of  Guea  was  dis- 
solved, the  operations  at  Cananea  were  aban- 
doned; but  were  afterwards  resumed  by  Don 


MINES  OF  IRON,  LEAD,  ETC.       149 

Jose  Perez,  of  Arispe,  although  with  less  ac- 
tivity than  before ;  several  thousand  quin- 
tals, however,  were  taken  out,  and  sold  at 
Guayrnas  or  shipped  abroad.  After  the 
death  of  Perez,  the  mines  were  worked  by 
his  son  and  others;  but  the  want  of  capital 
and  the  incursions  of  the  Apaches  soon 
caused  their  total  abandonment. 

Antunes,  an  old  region  of  gold  mines,  also 
contains  copper  mines,  which  were  worked 
from  1828  to  1830.  Notwithstanding  the 
abundance  and  excellent  quality  of  the  ores, 
the  enterprise  failed  on  account  of  the  inex- 
perience of  the  proprietors  and  the  absence 
of  a  proper  system  of  reduction. 

Tonuco,  twelve  leagues  west  of  Hermo- 
sillo,  contains  veins  of  copper  ores  which 
yielded  about  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  pure 
metal ;  its  mines  are  now  abandoned. 

Bacuachi,  twenty  leagues  west  of  Hernio- 
sillo,  contains  in  its  surrounding  hills  many 
copper  mines  which  have  been  but  superfic- 
ially explored. 


150  SONORA. 

La  Cobriza,  a  small  mountain  range,  twelve 
leagues  to  the  west  of  Horcasitas,  well  de- 
serves its  name,  as  its  entire  surface  is  im- 
pregnated with  copper.  No  practical  exam- 
ination of  these  mines  has  as  yet  been 
made. 

In  the  mountain  range  of  Guachapa,  near 
the  presidio  of  Tucson,  there  are  many 
veins  of  virgin  copper,  from  which  were 
made  the  bells  of  the  said  presidio. 

Lead  is  rarely  found  in  the  interior  of  the 
State,  but  abounds  in  Cieneguilla  and  the 
frontier  of  Arispe.  It  is  also  found  at  Batu- 
eo,  San  Jose  de  Gracia,  Aduana  and  Prom- 
ontonio.  Cieneguilla  and  Arizpe  contain  the 
greatest  quantity  of  lead.  The  auther  saw 
at  the  first  mentioned  place,  in  1797,  in  the 
house  of  Castro,  over  one  thousand  bars  of 
lead,  weighing  from  four  to  seven  arrobas 
each;  and  in  Arispe,  more  than  one  thou- 
sand quintals  were  deposited  at  one  time  for 
the  use  of  the  garrison. 

Agua  Caliente,  Alamo   Muerto,  and  the 


OTHER  MINERALS  AND  STONES  OF  VALUE.      151 

other  mineral  regions  of  the  Papago  coun- 
try, also  contain  lead  in  abundance. 

OTHER    MINERALS    AND    STONES    OF    VALUE. 

Veins  of  copperas  are  found  at  San  Anto- 
nio de  la  Iluerta,  San  Javier,  Cieneguilla, 
Agua  Caliente,  and  other  mineral  regions  of 
the  frontier.  In  San  Jose  de  la  Pimas  there 
is  a  small  hill  entirely  composed  of  black 
lead.  Small  pieces  of  it,  without  any  prep- 
aration, mark  as  well  as  pencils  imported 
from  abroad.  In  San  Javier  is  a  vein  of  a 
dark  color,  on  the  face  of  a  hill,  from  which 
is  extracted  a  compact  earth.  By  dissolv- 
ing this  in  water  a  fine  ink  is  obtained,  sim- 
ilar to  the  Indian  ink  from  China. 

In  Oposura  there  is  a  hill  composed  of 
excellent  marble,  of  which  the  altars  in  all 
the  churches  of  Sonora  are  built;  drinking 
cups,  salt-cellars,  inkstands,  etc.,  are  also  made 
from  it.  In  the  pueblo  of  Ures  there  is  also 
a  hill  that  contains  marble ;  but  not  in  such 
abundance  as  the  one  in  Oposura. 


152  • SONORA. 

The  hill  of  "La  Campana,"  in  the  city  of 
Hermosillo,  is  of  marble  as  white  as  that  of 
Italy ;  and  Oposura  and  Ures,  besides  mar- 
ble, contain  jasper  and  alabaster.  In  Guay- 
mas,  excellent  stone  for  building  is  procured 
from  the  hills  that  surround  the  bay.  This 
was  discovered  in  3828. 

The  building  stone  of  Hermosillo,  near 
the  hacienda  of  Chine  Gordo,  was  discovered 
in  1847  by  an  architect  who  was  employed 
by  Don  Manuel  Inigo.  The  existence  of 
this  kind  of  stone  was  previously  unknown 
in  Hermosillo.  The  city  of  Alamos  also 
contains  excellent  stone  for  building,  of 
which  most  of  its  houses  are  constructed. 
Near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Colorado  are 
found  muriate  and  carbonate  of  soda,  and 
saltpeter  or  nitrate  of  potash,  in  great  abun- 
dance ;  these  also  exist  in  the  interior  of  the 
State,  though  not  to  so  great  an  extent. 
Flint  is  found,  both  in  the  interior  and  in 
the  mountains  on  the  frontier;  and  load- 
stone exists  in  the  Canada  de  Barbitas,  ten 


OTHER  MINERALS  AND  STONES  OF  VALUE.   153 

leagues  from  Hermosillo,  and  in  various 
mountains  of  the  Apache  country.  Calca- 
reous stone,  of  which  lime  is  made,  is  com- 
mon throughout  the  State  ;  and  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Cucurpe  there  is  a  vein  of  crys- 
tal, which  possesses  the  peculiarity  of  being 
incombustible. 

In  concluding  this  description  of  the  mines 
of  Sonora,  we  may  observe  that,  although 
experience  goes  to  prove  that  they  are  gen- 
erally sooner  exhausted  than  those  of  Guan- 
ajuato, Zacatecas,  etc.,  this  rule  has  many 
exceptions.  There  are  mines  in  the  region 
of  Alamos,  discovered  more  than  a  century 
since,  that  still  yield  largely.  In  this  con- 
nection, also,  may  be  mentioned  "  La  Na- 
guila,"  in  San  Javier ;  Los  Preciados,  in  San 
Jose  de  Gracia,  Tajo,  Babicanora,  and  many 
others.  It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind,  that 
many  mines  in  the  last  century  were  aban- 
doned in  good  condition;  and  among  other 
reasons  for  this,  the  following  may  be  cited. 
The  owners  of  these  mines  were  generally 


154  SONORA. 

Spaniards,  who  regarded  the  poorer  ores  as 
of  no  value — as  they  had  no  establishments 
for  their  reduction  on  a  large  scale — and 
confined  their  labors  to  the  richer  ores  and 
virgin  silver  which  they  frequently  encoun- 
tered. When  these  were  no  longer  found 
in  abundance,  they  contented  themselves 
with  what  they  had  already  gained,  and 
abandoned  the  mine,  which  naturally  be- 
came choked  or  full  of  water.  The  gambu- 
cinos  who  then  took  charge,  generally  con- 
fined their  operations  to  the  pillars,  and  left 
the  mines  in  a  most  ruinous  condition. 
Windlasses  or  pulleys  were  almost  unknown; 
and  when  the  mine  could  not  be  kept  free 
of  water  by  buckets  drawn  up  by  hand,  it 
was  abandoned.  It  is  impossible,  for  many 
reasons,  to  make  an  exact  statement  of  the 
average  annual  products  of  the  mines  of  So- 
nora ;  we  however  quote  from  the  "  Memo- 
ria  Estadistica  del  Estado  de  Occidente," 
published,  in  1828,  by  Don  Juan  M.  Riesgo 
and  Don  A.  J.  Valdes,  as  follows :  "  Gener- 


OTHER  MINERALS  AND  STONES  OF  VALUE.     155 

ally  speaking,  the  minerals  of  Sonora  and 
Sinaloa  are  rich  and  abundant ;  and  it  is  im- 
possible to  estimate  what  energy  and  enter- 
prise might  accomplish  in  these  vast  regions, 
overflowing  with  their  treasures  of  copper, 
lead,  platina,  quicksilver,  gold  and  silver. 
Their  present  annual  production  of  gold  and 
silver  bullion  is  computed  at  two  millions  of 
dollars,  notwithstanding  the  imperfections 
that  exist  in  every  branch  of  mining." 

In  our  judgment,  this  calculation  is  en- 
tirely incorrect ;  as  when  the  States  of  So- 
nora and  Sinaloa  were  united,  there  were  no 
reliable  statistics  upon  which  to  base  an  esti- 
mate. 

Confining  ourselves  solely  to  the  mineral 
regions  of  Sonora,  from  the  city  of  Alamos 
to  Sonoita  on  the  west,  and  Arizona  on  the 
north,  we  may  safely  estimate  the  average 
annual  production  of  the  mines,  from  1835 
to  1842,  at  $1,500,000. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


APACHE      TRIBES. THEIR      POPULATION,     MANNERS, 

CUSTOMS,    ETC. 


THE  principal  tribes  of  the  Apaches  that 
border  upon  our  territory,  are  the  Coyoteros 
or  Pinaleros,  the  Tontos,  the  Chiricahuis,  the 
Indians  of  Sierra  Blanca,  and  the  Mogollones. 
It  is  impossible  to  form  an  exact  estimate  of 
their  numbers,  as  they  have  no  fixed  habita- 
tions ;  and  the  most  reliable  data  that  we 
possess  on  this  point,  are  the  accounts  of  the 
troops  that  have  been  engaged  in  the  vari- 
ous campaigns  against  these  savages.  It  is 
probable  that  the  entire  number  of  Apaches 
in  Sonora  is  not  more  than  three  thousand, 
and  persons  well  acquainted  with  the  fron- 
tier say  that  the  warriors  of  the  tribes  hos- 
tile to  the  whites  do  not  exceed  one  thousand. 


APACHE   TRIBES.  157 

At  present  there  is  not  an  Apache  settle- 
ment in  the  State;  a  few  families  live  at  the 
presidio  of  Fronteras,  composed  of  old  peo- 
ple and  their  children,  born  and  brought  up 
in  Sonora.  These  frequently  act  as  guides 
for  the  troops,  being  well  acquainted  with 
the  topography  of  the  country,  and  never 
losing  a  trail  even  in  the  darkest  nights. 

The  Apaches  are  of  a  bilious  tempera- 
ment, and  their  disposition  is  crafty,  fickle, 
bold,  haughty  and  suspicious.  They  carry 
their  distrust  to  an  extent  unequaled  among 
other  barbarous  tribes,  and  this  is  especially 
manifested  among  relations  and  members  of 
the  same  family.  No  Apache  is  ever  found 
off  his  guard,  nor  does  he  lay  aside  his  arms 
even  for  a  moment. 

Their  stature  and  color  vary  in  different 
tribes,  but  they  are  all  of  swarthy  complex- 
ion and  well  proportioned,  with  long  hair 
and  little  or  no  beard.  They  paint  the  face 
— especially  the  women — with  ochre,  and 
the  chiefs,  both  principal  and  subordinate, 

N 


158  SONORA. 

wear  caps  of  deerskin  more  or  less  decor- 
ated with  feathers,  according  to  their  rank. 
Their  dress  consists  of  shoes,  called  "  teguas," 
breeches  of  goat  or  deer  skin,  and  a  tunic 
or  frock  of  the  same,  open  at  the  sides ;  the 
dress  of  the  women  is  similar,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  short  petticoat  reaching  to  the 
knees;  both  men  and  women  have  very 
small  feet,  owing  to  their  constantly  wear- 
ing shoes  from  their  infancy.  The  women 
adorn  themselves  with  ear-rings  of  shell,  or 
small  green  and  white  stones  resembling 
crystal,  and  some  of  the  men  wear  similar 
ornaments. 

They  are  constantly  wandering  from  one 
mountain  range  to  another,  seeking  the  most 
inaccessible  places,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
troops  sent  in  pursuit  of  them,  and  have  no 
habitations  worthy  of  the  name.  When  they 
form  a  temporary  settlement,  their  dwellings 
are  wretched  huts  of  poles  covered  with 
grass,  with  a  small  door  barely  admitting  a 
grown  person.  If  the  place  is  wooded,  they 


APACHE  TRIBES.  159 

_ 

encamp  at  the  foot  of  a  trel 

lower  branches  with  grass  to  protect  them 

from  the  rain ;  but  as  a  general  thing  they 

live  in  the  open  air  without  shelter  of  any 

description. 

They  are  shocking  gluttons  when  they 
have  an  abundance  of  food,  a  single  Apache 
having  been  known  to  devour  at  one  meal 
the  lungs,  liver,  entrails  and  kidneys  of  a 
large  cow;  but  they  endure  hunger  and 
thirst  with  wonderful  patience  and  fortitude, 
going,  at  times,  four  or  five,  and  even  eight 
days  without  food  or  water,  excepting  a  few 
roots  and  the  mountain  parsley,  which,  when 
chewed,  relieves  their  thirst.  Formerly,  be- 
fore cattle  were  abundant  on  the  frontier, 
they  subsisted  on  horse  flesh  and  that  of 
various  wild  animals,  the  sacate  and  other 
herbs ;  but  now  that  they  have  the  run  of 
so  many  haciendas  and  ranches,  abounding 
in  cattle,  they  live  principally  upon  beef,  and 
the  wild  fruits  that  their  country  produces 
in  profusion.  These  savages  pay  no  respect 


160  SONORA. 

to  old  age ;  even  those  who  have  been  re- 
nowned for  their  courage  and  ability,  are 
treated  with  neglect  when  their  youth  and 
vigor  have  passed  away.  Being  of  robust 
frames  and  hardy  constitutions,  and  accus- 
tomed to  brave  all  weathers,  many  of  them 
attain  a  great  age,  and  the  ordinary  duration 
of  life  among  them  is  from  seventy  to  eighty 
years. 

The  father  of  a  numerous  family  is  gen- 
erally recognized  as  its  head  or  chief,  includ- 
ing both  the  children  and  grand-children, 
who  generally  reside  in  the  same  settle- 
ment ;  in  some  cases  this  distinction  is  con- 
ferred upon  that  member  of  the  family  who 
has  most  distinguished  himself  in  war,  but 
many  Indians  are  so  impatient  of  control, 
that  they  prefer  to  live  alone  with  their 
wives  and  children. 

Polygamy  is  common  among  them,  and 
an  Indian  frequently  has  six  or  seven  wives. 
These  perform  all  the  manual  labor,  and 
from  the  skins  of  wild  animals  killed  in  the 


APACHE  TRIBES.  161 

chase,  manufacture  the  necessary  articles  of 
dress  for  themselves  and  their  husbands; 
they  also  build  the  huts,  collect  fire-wood, 
watch  the  animals  while  grazing,  and  in 
short,  perform  all  the  drudgery  that  is -gen- 
erally assigned  to  man.  Their  marriages 
are  affairs  of  mere  bargain  and  sale ;  the 
groom  purchases  his  bride  from  her  father 
for  a  certain  number  of  skins  or  weapons;  in 
some  cases  for  a  horse ;  if  these  are  accepted 
by  the  father,  the  match  is  made  without  re- 
gard to  the  inclinations  of  the  daughter. 
The  women  are  treated  with  the  greatest 
harshness  and  severity,  and  their  lives  are 
frequently  sacrificed  to  the  jealousy  of  their 
lords.  The  marriage  is  often  dissolved  by 
mutual  consent,  in  which  case  the  wife  re- 
turns to  her  father,  who  is  obliged  to  return 
the  articles  received  in  exchange  for  her. 

The  women  frequently  elope,  not  being 
able  to  endure  the  hardships  to  which  they 
are  subjected ;  and  escaping  to  another  set- 
tlement, place  themselves  under  the  protec- 

N* 


162  SONORA. 

tion  of  some  chief,  or  Indian'  of  renowned 
valor-  in  which  case  the  husband  preserves  a 
prudent  silence. 

Occasionally  several  "  rancherias,"  or  set- 
tlements, are  united  at  the  same  place,  either 
for  the  purpose  of  war  or  hunting.  When 
they  meditate  an  attack  upon  their  enemies, 
the  tribes  contiguous  to  each  other  assem- 
ble generally  in  the  most  inaccessible  parts 
of  the  mountains,  and  appoint  their  bravest 
warrior  as  chief,  to  carry  out  their  plan  of 
operations.  In  these  cases  it  is  forbidden  to 
light  a  fire,  and  sentinels  of  tried  vigilance 
are  posted  at  every  point  of  exposure. 

Their  favorite  diversion  is  dancing,  which 
they  practise  at  night  to  the  music  of  a  rude 
drum  ;  both  sexes  take  part  in  this  with  loud 
shouts,  violent  gesticulations  and  the  most 
grotesque  contortions  of  the  limbs.  If  the 
object  of  the  dance  is  to  celebrate  a  victory, 
the  scalps  of  the  slain,  fastened  to  poles,  are 
triumphantly  flourished,  or  are  sometimes 
planted  in  the  center  of  the  arena,  and  the 


APACHE   TRIBES.  163 

Indians  dance  around  them  for  hours,  utter- 
ing the  most  diabolical  yells. 

The  Apache  believes  in  the  existence  of 
a  Supreme  Being,  called  "  Yastaritaune,"  or 
Chief  of  the  Heavens;  but  he  has  no  concep- 
tion of  the  divine  attributes,  nor  of  future 
rewards  and  punishments. 

He  understands  the  brevity  and  uncer- 
tainty of  life,  and  confines  himself  to  the 
enjoyment  of  the  present;  forgetting  the 
past,  and  taking  no  heed  for  the  future. 
Nevertheless,  there  are  not  wanting  among 
them  persons  who  are  eager  to  understand 
the  truth  of  our  religion,  believing  that 
upon  its  Divine  Founder  depends  their  fu- 
ture happiness  or  misery. 

They  have  cunning  soothsayers  among 
them,  in  whose  prophecies  they  repose  im- 
plicit confidence.  These  charlatans  also  pro- 
fess to  cure  diseases  by  a  variety  of  ridiculous 
ceremonies.  They  burn  the  bodies  of  their 
dead.  On  these  occasions  much  sorrow  is 
manifested  by  the  relations  of  the  deceased, 


164  SONORA. 

especially  by  the  widow,  who  abandons  her- 
self to  the  wildest  grief,  and  leaves  her  home 
for  another  settlement.  It  is  supposed,  by 
some  who  have  had  much  intercourse  with 
these  Indians,  that  they  believe  that  the 
soul  after  death  enters  the  body  of  some 
bird ;  and  as  the  screech  owl  is  imagined  to 
be  particularly  favored  in  this  respect,  they 
hold  it  in  great  veneration. 

In  cases  of  sickness,  wrhen  the  disease  re- 
fuses to  yield  to  the  application  of  herbs — 
the  only  remedy  with  which  they  are  ac- 
quainted— they  abandon  the  patient,  plac- 
ing a  heap  of  cinders  and  a  little  water  at 
his  head.  The  meaning  of  this  custom  is 
unknown. 

The  women  bear  children  without  pain  or 
difficulty,  and  plunge  their  infants  into  cold 
water  immediately  after  birth.  If  they  are 
taken  in  labor  upon  a  march,  they  retire 
from  the  road  for  a  short  time ;  and  then  re- 
sume their  journey,  carrying  the  newly  born 
child  slung  from  the  irshoulders  in  a  basket. 


APACHE   TRIBES.  165 

These  Indians  use  no  salt,  which  is  not 
found  in  their  territory ;  and  they  feel  the 
want  of  it  so  little,  that  they  take  no  pains 
to  procure  it  from  the  white  settlements. 
They  generally  eat  their  meat  raw ;  and  one 
tribe — called  Coyoteras — eat  the  flesh  of 
the  coyote,  although  its  taste  and  smell  are 
excessively  disgusting. 

No  quality  is  so  much  esteemed  among 
the  Apaches  as  courage ;  and  so  highly  do 
they  regard  this,  that  none  of  their  number 
is  held  in  any  esteem  until  he  has  given 
proofs  of  his  valor  on  one  or  more  occasions. 
After  he  has  thus  signalized  himself,  he  is 
distinguished  by  the  appellation  of  "San- 
quie,"  meaning  gallant  or  high  spirited. 

They  obtain  fire  from  the  friction  of  two 
kinds  of  wood,  called  "  sosole  "  and  "  lechu- 
gilla ;"  they  also  use  the  flint  and  steel,  but 
prefer  the  first  method. 

The  Apache  lives  in  a  state  of  nature, 
recognizing  no  law  except  that  of  force. 
Their  chiefs  exercise  no  authority  except  in 


166  SONORA. 

war,  although  they  retain  their  rank  in  time 
of  peace ;  and  each  family  or  individual  is 
governed  by  no  rules  except  their  own  incli- 
nation :  consequently,  there  is  an  utter  want 
of  security  among  them,  the  weaker  being 
invariably  plundered  by  the  stronger. 

The  father  of  a  family  exercises  authority 
over  his  children  during  their  infancy ;  but 
when  they  arrive  at  the  age  of  puberty,  they 
recognize  no  superior  except  the  chief  who 
leads  them  in  war.  Bows  and  arrows  are 
put  into  their  hands  at  the  age  of  seven 
years,  and  they  soon  become  skillful  marks- 
men. 

These  savages  are  vindictive  to  the  last 
degree,  and  have  never  been  known  to  for- 
give or  forget  an  injury.  This  feeling  was 
strongly  exemplified  by  the  murder  of  Don 
Leonardo  Escalante,  a  most  estimable  citi- 
zen of  Bacuachi,  in  1829.  This  gentleman, 
in  assisting  to  quell  a  tumult  among  the 
Apaches  in  the  city,  had  the  misfortune  to 
put  out  the  eye  of  one  of  the  Indians  with 


APACHE  TRIBES.  167 

a  whip  lash.  He  regretted  the  occurrence 
extremely ;  cured  the  man  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, and  presented  him  with  horses,  cloth- 
ing, etc.  The  savage  professed  to  be  en- 
tirely satisfied.  Nevertheless,  for  eleven 
years  afterwards  he  watched  for  an  oppor- 
tunity of  killing  his  victim ;  and  finally  ac- 
complished his  purpose,  on  the  road  between 
Bacuachi  and  Fronteras. 

Their  hunting  parties  are  often  large — 
men,  women  and  children  attending  them. 
Their  plan  is  to  encircle  a  tract  of  land  four 
to  six  leagues  in  circumference,  and  then 
set  fire  to  the  grass :  the  frightened  animals 
fly  in  all  directions,  and  fall  an  easy  prey  to 
the  expectant  hunters. 

They  hunt  the  deer  singly  or  in  couples. 
Covering  the  head  with  the  skull  and  horns 
of  a  dead  stag,  and  sometimes  clothing  them- 
selves with  the  skin,  they  creep  on  all  fours 
towards  the  herd;  and  as  the  deer  permit 
their  approach  without  the  least  suspicion, 
they  slaughter  them  at  their  leisure.  They 


168  SONORA. 

also  make  use  of  the  same  artifice  in  war. 

They  care  little  for  the  flesh  of  birds, 
though  they  kill  them  out  of  pure  wanton- 
ness; neither  do  they  eat  fish,  although 
these  are  abundant  in  their  rivers,  but  sim- 
ply make  use  of  their  bones  for  certain  pur- 
poses. 

They  hold  the  beaver  in  great  esteem, 
both  on  account  of  its  flesh  and  fur,  of  which 
they  make  cloaks,  blankets  and  other  arti- 
cles of  clothing. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  1846,  the  Apaches 
first  attacked  the  rancho  of  Metatitos,  and 
afterwards,  on  the  same  day,  Bamuri,  the 
hacienda  of  Manuel  Maria  Gandara;  they 
murdered  thirteen  persons,  and  burned  the 
houses  at  both  places,  carrying  off  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  horses,  some  of  them  of  great 
value.  A  vaquero  made  his  escape  and  im- 
parted the  tidings  to  Gandara,  who  was  on 
his  way  to  Barnuri,  and  the  latter,  scarcely 
crediting  the  account,  changed  his  course  to 
Topagui,  eight  leagues  distant.  Here  he 


APACHE   TRIBES.  169 

represented  to  the  authorities  the  best  plan 
of  surprising  the  savages  in  their  retreat, 
and  having  collected  a  small  force  of  whites 
and  Yaqui  Indians,  he  started  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy.  Meanwhile  the  inhabitants  of 
Guadalupe,  two  leagues  from  Ures,  sent  a 
body  of  eighteen  men,  well  armed,  under 
the  command  of  Don  N.  Bustamente,  who 
was  accompanied  by  his  son;  and  these  in  a 
few  hours  came  up  with  the  enemy  at  the 
rancho  de  la  Noria,  belonging  to  Francisco 
Homo.  Here  they  were  utterly  routed  by 
the  savages,  leaving  four  of  their  number 
dead  upon  the  field,  including  the  two  Bus- 
tamentes. 

When  Gandara  and  his  men  reached  Ba- 
muri,  the  Apaches  had  retired  to  the  other 
bank  of  the  river  Ures ;  the  next  day  they 
proceeded  to  the  well  of  Victor  de  Aguilar, 
where  they  murdered  five  persons,  making 
in  all  twenty-two  victims,  besides  one  woman 
killed  at  Bamuri,  and  three  youths  carried 
into  captivity. 


170  SONORA. 

The  audacity  of  the  barbarians  was  never 
more  forcibly  exemplified  than  in  this  in- 
stance, and  it  seems  almost  incredible  that 
they  should  have  been  able  to  perpetrate 
these  outrages  and  escape  with  impunity,  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  towns 
and  ranches  surrounding  the  capital,  where 
there  were  white,  Yaqui  and  Opata  troops, 
comprising  over  five  hundred  men  of  the 
battalion  from  Sinaloa,  and  a  number  of  aux- 
iliary troops  on  their  way  to  Arispe. 

In  the  month  of  April,  of  the  same 
year,  sixteen  persons  —  men,  women  and 
children — left  Bacanuche,  the  hacienda  of 
Don  Ignacio  Perez,  for  Arispe;  they  were 
attacked  by  the  Apaches  in  the  mountains, 
and  being  entirely  unarmed,  eight  men 
were  killed,  and  the  women  and  children 
carried  off. 

In  1849  the  Apaches  attacked  a  train  of 
persons  on  their  return  from  Upper  Califor- 
nia to  their  homes  at  the  river  San  Ignacio, 
and  killed  several;  among  others,  Don  N. 


APACHE   TRIBES.  171 

Siquieros,  an  estimable  citizen  and  skillful 
physician. 

In  the  same  year,  they  made  a  descent 
upon  the  rancho  of  a  Spaniard  —  sixteen 
leagues  from  the  capital — who  was  at  the 
time  in  Upper  California;  murdered  his  wife 
and  several  herdsmen,  and  carried  off  his 
two  marriageable  daughters,  besides  all  ar- 
ticles of  value  that  they  could  take  with 
them.  Between  the  presidio  of  Janos  and 
Babispe,  they  attacked  a  train  composed  of 
several  wagons,  attended  by  Americans  and 
other  foreigners.  When  the  Indians  came 
within  hail,  they  professed  that  their  object 
was  not  to  fight,  but  to  exchange  cattle  for 
fire-arms,  and  having  thus  removed  the  sus- 
picions of  the  whites,  the  latter  foolishly  al- 
lowed them  to  examine  their  arms.  The 
Indians  immediately  commenced  an  attack, 
but  were  finally  repulsed  by  the  Americans, 

who  made  a  resolute  defense ;   they,  how- 

* 

ever,  lost  five  men  and  one  wagon.    In  Jan- 
uary, 1850,  these  barbarians  poured  down 


172  SONORA. 

from  the  northern  frontier,  and  carried  on 
their  depredations  to  a  fearful  extent.  They 
attacked,  on  the  same  day,  the  presidio  of 
Bacuachi,  and  the  hacienda  of  Tetuachi, 
four  leagues  to  the  south  of  Arispe.  At 
Bacuachi,  they  killed  two  laborers  who  were 
engaged  in  herding  cattle,  wounded  a  sol- 
dier, and  drove  off  all  the  stock  belonging 
to  the  place  ;  at  Tetuachi  they  burned  all 
the  buildings,  and  the  inmates  escaped  with 
the  greatest  difficulty.  At  Tucson  they 
drove  off  all  the  cattle  in  sight  of  the  in- 
habitants, and  having  surprised  a  party  from 
Cucurpe,  bound  to  Upper  California,  they 
killed  five  persons,  wounded  a  number  of 
others,  and  carried  two  women  into  captivity. 
On  the  road  from  Batuc  to  Oposura  they 
surprised  another  party,  on  their  way  to  the 
interior;  murdered  seven  persons  and  carried 
off  all  the  animals  and  articles  of  value. 

We  will  not  shock  our  readers  by  further 
recapitulation  of  these  lamentable  occur- 
rences, which  so  plainly  mark  the  abject 


APACHE   TRIBES.  173 

and  indolent  nature  of  the  people  of  Sonora. 
God  grant  that  they  may  awaken  from  this 
lethargy,  which  is  leading  them  to  their 
utter  destruction. 


APPENDIX. 


PRESENT    CONDITION    OF    SOME     OF     THE     PRINCIPAL 
MINES     OF    ALAMOS    DISTRICT. 


THE  Promontorio  mine,  otherwise  known 
as  the  Almada  mine,  is  at  present  owned 
and  worked  by  Don  Jose  Maria  Almada; 
this  is  one  of  the  best  mines  in  the  district, 
its  ores  being  exceedingly  rich  and  abundant. 

The  Tiriti  mine,  to  the  south  and  adjoin- 
ing the  Promontorio,  is  said  to  be  still  richer, 
but  its  vein  is  not  so  wide ;  it  is  owned  by 
James  Brady  of  Guaymas,  who  is  about  to 
commence  running  a  tunnel  into  it.  The 
pillars  of  this  mine  were  taken  out  some 
forty  years  ago  by  Pascual  Gomez,  and  two 
of  them  yielded  $80,000. 

The  Dios  Padre -. mine,  adjoining  the  Pro- 


176  SONORA. 

montorio  on  the  north,  was,  prior  to  1860, 
owned  and  worked  by  Fernando  Arana,  son- 
in-law  of  Jose  M.  Almada.  In  August,  1860, 
Andrew  J.  Wiley,  an  artist  from  California, 
visited  Alamos,  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Arana,  and  having  learned  the  history  of 
the  mine,  purchased  it;  and  returning  to  Cal- 
ifornia, associated  himself  with  Messrs.  W. 
W.  Light,  D.  Madox,  U.  F.  Moulton,  Skinker, 
Backus,  Beard,  Sanborn,  Oatman,  Robinson 
and  L.  A.  Garnett.  Mr.  Wiley  is  now  en- 
gaged in  sinking  a  shaft,  and  being  a  prac- 
tical miner  and  a  persevering  man,  will 
probably  soon  reap  the  reward  of  his  labors. 
The  Quintera  and  Libertad  are  mines  to 
the  north  of  the  Dios  Padre ;  the  Pulpito, 
on  the  same  lead,  was  discovered  within  the 
last  two  years,  by  a  Mexican  of  the  lower 
class,  who  worked  it  secretly,  packing  the 
ore  upon  his  back  some  two  miles  to  a  se- 
cluded spot,  where  he  extracted  it  in  a  rude 
manner.  Jose  Maria  Almada,  ascertaining 
the  richness  of  the  ore  taken  out  by  the 


APPENDIX.  177 

Mexican,  at  once  took  steps  to  denounce  the 
mine  for  himself;  but  his  whole  time  and 
attention  being  absorbed  by  the  Promonto- 
rio  mine,  he  permitted  the  Mexican  to  con- 
tinue his  labors. 

In  January,  1861,  Mr.  Rountree  purchased 
the  rights  of  both  parties,  suffering  the  Mex- 
ican to  prosecute  his  work,  as  he  was  rather 
benefiting  the  mine  than  otherwise.  Mr. 
Eountree's  associates  in  this  mine  are  Messrs. 
W.  W.  Light,  Johnson  Price,  Thos.  Finley, 
Robt.  S.  Stilwell,  J.  R.  Hardenburg,  and 
other  citizens  of  Sacramento  and  San  Fran- 
cisco. They  are  about  to  commence  opera- 
tions upon  the  mine,  wrhich  is  extremely 
rich,  and  will  doubtless  yield  fortunes  to  its 
owners. 

The  Nacacharama  mine,  situated  nine 
miles  from  the  city  of  Alamos,  is  one  of  the 
most  celebrated  in  the  district,  having  been 
extensively  worked  by  the  Spaniards  in  the 
early  days  of  Sonora ;  but  for  many  years 
it  has  been  abandoned  on  account  of  the 


178  SONORA. 

influx  of  water.  For  the  last  twenty-five 
years  it  was  claimed  by  Don  Pedro  Peron, 
who  has  attempted  to  work  it ;  but  having 
no  machinery  for  clearing  it  of  water,  ex- 
cept a  common  windlass  and  bucket,  he  be- 
came discouraged  and  abandoned  the  enter- 
prise. The  mine  remained  idle  until  August, 
1860,  when  the  writer  visited  Alamos,  and 
purchased  the  mine  for  himself,  Hon.  J.  G. 
Baldwin,  Messrs.  Thomas  H.  Williams,  Wm. 
S.  Long,  Henry  Fouche,  Solomon  Heyden- 
feldt,  Samuel  Doake,  and  others.  This  mine 
has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  rich- 
est in  the  world. 

The  Vista  Nacacharama,  now  known  as 
the  Sacramento  Company's  mine,  was  lately 
denounced  by  the  writer  for  himself,  Messrs. 
Ira  Oatman,  Goggins,  Bowman  and  White- 
side  ;  the  latter  has  lately  gone  to  Alamos  to 
superintend  operations.  This  mine  promises 
to  be  equally  as  rich  as  the  Nacacharama. 

The  Mina  Grande,  Europa,  Iglesia  and 
Palomas  are  all  well  spoken  of  by  tradition. 


APPENDIX.  179 

The  first  two  were  denounced  by  Michael 
Gray  in  January,  I860,  and  afterwards  sold 
to  John  Heard,  who  is  now  working  them. 

The  Cerro  Colorado  mine  is  situated  some 
eight  or  nine  leagues  from  the  city  of  Ala- 
mos, on  the  bank  of  the  Mayo  river,  and 
derives  its  name  from  the  reddish  color  of 
the  mountain  in  which  it  is  located.  It  was 
formerly  owned  by  Castro  and  Don  Manuel 
Salida,  and  afterwards  by  Dr.  W.  J.  Hill,  of 
Alamos,  who  sold  one-half  of  his  interest, 
some  few  months  since,  for  $12,000.  Messrs. 
J.  S.  Garwood,  E.  D.  Wheeler,  Michael  Gray 
and  others,  of  San  Francisco,  were  the  fortu- 
nate purchasers.  The  last  owner  of  this 
mine,  Don  Manuel  Salida,  took  from  it  more 
than  a  million  of  dollars  ;  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  gave  orders  to  blow  the  mine  up, 
which  was  accordingly  carried  into  effect  by 
his  peons.  The  writer  visited  the  mine  in 
company  with  Dr.  Hill ;  but  on  account  of 
its  dilapidated  condition,  could  not  explore 
it.  At  a  depth  of  seventy  feet  is  a  chamber 


180  SONORA. 

twenty  feet  in  diameter  and  twenty-five  feet 
high,  the  walls  of  which,  impregnated  with 
virgin  silver,  glittered  like  diamonds  by  the 
light  of  a  solitary  candle. 

In  working  the  mines  of  this  district,  it  is 
not  unusual  to  discover  spots  of  exceeding 
richness — called  by  the  Mexicans  "bonan- 
zas " — and  from  one  of  these  from  two  to 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars  are  fre- 
quently extracted. 

The  San  Jose  mine  is  situated  six  miles 
from  Alamos,  at  the  locality  called  "  Minas 
Nuevas,"  and  is  owned  by  W.  J.  Hill  and 
E.  B.  Johnson,  who  are  now  getting  up  ma- 
chinery for  the  purpose  of  working  it.  Tra- 
dition speaks  of  it  as  exceedingly  rich. 

Many  other  mines  might  be  mentioned  in 
the  district  of  Alamos  but  little,  if  any,  infe- 
rior to  the  foregoing. 

The  number  and  wealth  of  these  mines; 
their  neighborhood  to  a  large  stream — the 
Mayo — the  abundance  of  timber  in  that  vi- 
cinity, and  the  freedom  from  the  incursions 


APPENDIX.  181 

of  the  hostile  tribes;  the  cheapness  and 
abundance  of  labor,  and  the  facilities  for 
transportation  to  the  coast,  combine  to  ren- 
der the  district  of  Alamos  one  of  the  most 
desirable  locations  for  mining  purposes  in 
the  whole  world. 

WM.  T.  EOBINSON. 


PROVISIONS 

RELATIVE  TO  THE  DISCOVERY  OR  DENOUNCEMENT 
OF  MINES  IN  MEXICO.  FROM  THE  "  ORDENANZAS 
DE  TIERRAS  Y  AGUAS." 

MINES  may  be  acquired  by  discovery  or 
denouncement. 

The  discoverer  of  mineral  lands  hitherto 
unknown,  may  hold  three  claims  of  the  di- 
mensions prescribed  by  law ;  and  he  who 
discovers  a  new  vein  in  a  mineral  hill  already 
known,  may  hold  two  such  claims,  being 
obliged  to  designate  the  same  within  ten 
days;  but  he  who  finds  a  new  mine  in  a 
vein  already  known,  shall  not  be  considered 
a  discoverer. 

Denouncement  may  take  effect  with  re* 
spect  to  mines  that  have  been  deserted  or 
abandoned,  or  whose  proprietors  have  failed 
to  fulfill  the  conditions  prescribed  by  the 


184  SONORA. 

ordinances.  No  person  can  denounce  two 
adjoining  mines  in  the  same  vein ;  but  he 
may  hold  one  by  denouncement  and  the 
other  by  purchase  or  other  lawful  title. 

Ecclesiastics,  regular  or  secular,  of  either 
sex,  cannot  acquire  mines ;  neither  can  the 
judges  or  notaries  of  any  mining  district 
within  their  own  jurisdiction — though  they 
may  in  any  other  department — nor  can  the 
managers  or  other  employes  of  the  owners 
of  a  mine  hold  any  other  within  a  thousand 
varas  from  the  first,  although  they  may  de- 
nounce it  for  their  employers. 

Formerly,  foreigners  could  not  acquire 
mines  within  the  Republic ;  but  permission 
to  this  effect  has  since  been  granted,  by  the 
decree  of  March  14th,  1842* 

Veins  or  mines  may  be  discovered  or  de- 
nounced, not  only  on  vacant  and  common 
lands,  but  on  those  belonging  to  private  per- 
sons; the  discoverer  or  denouncer  being 


"This  decree  is  to  be  found  in  the  "  Febrero  Mexicano,"  edition 
of  four  volumes,  vol.  I,  page  17. 


APPENDIX.  185 

obliged  to  pay  for  the  surface  of  the  land 
that  he  occupies.,  and  for  any  damage  that 
may  result  from  his  labors,  the  amount  to 
be  fixed  by  experts  appointed  for  the  pur- 
pose. But  if  any  person  shall  denounce  a 
mine  within  a  town  or  settlement,  the  work- 
ing of  which  might  cause  damage  to  the 
public  buildings,  or  other  prejudice,  the  de- 
nouncement shall  not  take  effect  without  the 
consent  of  the  local  authorities. 

Whoever  discovers  a  mine  shall  present 
himself  to  the  mining  tribunal  or  directive 
"junta  "  of  that  district,  setting  forth  in  writ- 
ing his  birth-place,  residence,  profession  and 
occupation,  and  the  peculiar  characteristics 
of  the  place,  hill  or  vein  that  he  solicits ;  all 
which  circumstances,  with  the  time  of  the 
application,  shall  be  duly  registered  by  the 
Notary  in  the  proper  book,  and  a  copy 
thereof  delivered  to  the  discoverer  for  his 
protection,  and  notices  shall  be  posted  in 
public  places  for  the  information  of  the 
neighborhood. 


186  SONORA. 

Within  the  term  of  ninety  days,  the  dis- 
coverer must  open  a  shaft  upon  the  vein  or 
veins  recorded,  one  vara  and  a  half  in  diam- 
eter at  the  top  and  ten  varas  in  depth ;  which 
having  been  done,  one,  at  least,  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  "junta,"  accompanied  by  a  no- 
tary (or  in  default  thereof,  two  assisting  wit- 
nesses) and  an  expert  skilled  in  mining,  shall 
visit  the  place  in  person  to  inspect  the  course 
and  direction  of  the  vein,  its  breadth  and 
other  particulars ;  taking  an  exact  account  of 
all  these,  that  it  may  be  added  to  the  record. 
Possession  shall  then  be  given  to  the  dis- 
coverer, in  the  name  of  the  nation;  his 
claim  shall  be  measured  off,  and  stakes 
placed  at  the  boundaries  thereof,  and  a  cer- 
tified copy  of  all  the  proceedings,  which  shall 
serve  as  proofs  of  title,  be  delivered  to  him. 

If  within  the  aforesaid  term  of  ninety 
days,  any  other  person  shall  claim  a  right  to 
the  said  discovery,  the  case  shall  be  heard 
and  decided  in  favor  of  him  who  adduces 
the  best  proofs ;  but  if  said  claim  shall  be 


APPENDIX. 


made  after  the  expiration  of  ninety  d*r 
shall  not  be  entertained. 

Whenever  the  question  arises  as  to  who 
was  the  discoverer  of  any  mine,  he  shall  be 
considered  as  such  who  first  found  metal 
therein,  although  others  may  have  pros- 
pected it;  and  in  case  of  doubt  upon  this 
point,  judgment  shall  be  given  in  favor  of 
him  whose  name  first  appears  on  the  record. 

He  who  denounces  a  mine  as  deserted 
and  abandoned,  must  make  application  in 
writing  in  the  same  manner  as  a  discoverer : 
setting  forth  the  location  of  the  mine,  its 
last  possessor — if  known — and  those  of  the 
adjacent  mines,  if  they  are  occupied — all  of 
whom  shall  be  duly  cited  to  appear.  If  they 
do  not  appear  within  ten  days,  the  denounce-' 
ment  shall  be  publicly  proclaimed  upon  the 
three  following  Sundays;  and  there  being 
no  opposition  thereto,  notice  shall  be  given 
to  the  denouncer  to  open  within  sixty  days 
an  excavation  upon  the  vein  of  at  least  ten 
varas  in  depth,  which  shall  be  examined  and 


188  SONORA. 

inspected  by  an  expert  duly  qualified.  The 
said  expert  shall  also  examine  the  condition 
of  the  different  works  of  the  mine,  making 
an  exact  statement  of  everything,  and  entry 
thereof  in  the  proper  book  of  records  of 
denouncements.  This  report  having  been 
made,  and  the  claims  measured  off,  posses- 
sion shall  be  given  to  the  denouncer  not- 
withstanding opposition,  unless  such  opposi- 
tion has  been  set  up  within  the  term  pre- 
scribed by  law,  in  which  case  the  matter 
shall  be  tried  between  the  parties.  If  the 
former  owner  of  the  mine  should  appear, 
and  oppose  the  denouncement,  after  the  ex- 
piration of  the  term  of  proclamation,  and 
while  the  denouncer  is  making  use  of  the 
'sixty  days  allowed  him  for  sinking  a  shaft, 
the  said  owner  shall  not  be  heard  as  to  the 
possession  of  the  mine,  but  only  as  to  the 
property  thereof;  and  if  this  should  be  de- 
cided in  his  favor,  he  shall  satisfy  the  de- 
nouncer for  the  expenses  he  has  incurred: 
provided,  that  the  latter  has  not  acted  in  bad 


APPENDIX.  189 

faith,  in  which  case  he  is  entitled  to  no  com- 
pensation. If  the  denouncer  should  not 
complete  the  shaft  or  work  required,  or 
take  possession  within  sixty  days,  he  shall 
lose  his  right,  and  any  other  person  may 
denounce  the  mine ;  but  if  the  denouncer 
be  prevented  by  any  insuperable  obstacle 
from  fulfilling  his  duties,  he  shall  apply  to 
the  tribunal,  soliciting  that  in  consideration 
of  the  circumstances  it  may  grant  a  suffi- 
cient extension  of  the  time,  during  which 
no  opposition  shall  be  entertained,  any  more 
than  in  the  previous  term  of  sixty  days. 

Where  any  person  denounces  a  mine  as 
abandoned  on  account  of  the  nonobservance 
of  any  of  the  ordinances  that  prescribe  this 
penalty,  the  denouncement  shall  always  be 
granted  upon  good  and  lawful  proof  of  the 
matter  alleged. 

Lastly :  it  is  to  be  observed  that  no  one 
can  denounce  a  mine  for  another  person 
without  having  his  power  of  attorney  or 
letter  of  authority ;  neither  can  any  one 


190 


SONORA. 


denounce  a  mine  for  himself  alone,  being  a 
member  of  a  company  formed  prior  to  the 
denouncement;  it  being  his  duty  to  mention 
the  names  of  his  companions  in  the  applica- 
tion made  by  him,  under  the  penalty  of  for- 
feiture of  his  own  interest. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 


RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desk  of  any 

University  of  California  Library 

or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
Bldg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 
2- month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 

(510)642-6753 
1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books 

to  NRLF 
Renewals    and    recharges    may    be    made    4    days 

prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


MAY  17 1935 


'JAN  0  2 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


h  I  C.' 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


